Harris Ryland's Masterpiece
by Supsi85
Summary: Ann thought her problems were long gone after Harris was sent to jail but that may have only been the beginning. Set after 2x15 and is in no relation to my previous story.
1. Message on the Wall

_Author's note: I was going to have a longer break between the stories but whatever, gotta write when the inspiration is there haha. (And all your lovely comments kinda pushed me, in a good way.) _

_So, I've been reading this fic "Sue Ellen Ewing for Governor: All Bite, No Bark" by Wicked Pen which is a brilliant Dallas fic with Sue Ellen as a main character but features lots of other characters, Harris and Ann as well and it's just a perfect read for any Dallas fan as I'm sure many here know already:D Anyway, it inspired me to take this approach to my new story and I thought I'd mention it here cos I can never compliment that story enough._

_Hope you enjoy this and I'll be curious to read any feedback:) _

Chapter 1:

"ANNIE, NEED A WORD."

The words stood in large red letters on the wall of an old apartment building across the street from where Ann got out of the cafeteria. The area was busy with people rushing to and from their offices during the lunch hour but she saw nothing but the message.

_Could it be...?_

Before she could finish the thought the wall went up in flames and people on the other side of the street started grabbing their phones and running into every direction. Cars were pulling up or speeding depending on whether there were people in their way. Ann quickly jumped back when a vehicle rushed by a little too close. Her mind went back to a place that she thought had been buried deep and locked away for good. Why did it keep coming back to haunt her? She desperately hoped no one had got hurt because that would be on her.

She remained in the spot her mind racing still when the fire brigade came minutes later. The phone in her hand was burning hot, both from her tight grasp and the midday sun. It suddenly vibrated and she flinched dropping it on the ground. As she crouched down to pick it up she half expected to see a certain name grace the caller ID and sighed with relief when she saw who it was instead.

"Bobby, hi." She quickly answered out of breath.

"Annie, what is going on?"

"What do you mean?" Ann started walking trying to find a less noisy spot.

"Just the way you sound...nothing I guess then. I'm coming home early today and was wondering when you'd be there."

"Umm..." Ann looked back at the fire wondering why she didn't think to bring it up. Or then again, who was she kidding. She knew damn well.

And then just like that she had made up her mind. She pulled herself together and spoke her voice warm and full of determination.

"There are still a couple of shops I'd like to check out but I'll call you when I know." She smiled as if he was right there with her and she felt light in the heart but at the same time heavy in her stomach. What she was about to do was only going to cause her trouble and yet she saw no other option if she planned to get any sleep that night.

"That's okay, take all the time you need. And if you buy something pretty, well I see no downsides to that." Bobby had a spirit so strong and so unique it never failed to brighten her day.

"I'm sure you won't." She grinned with pure happiness this time. "I'll see you later. Bye."

"Bye, Annie."

The calmness had come and gone and she was now storming through the street, passing people by subtly but at a fast speed all the while scanning the area for cabs. When she found one she wasted no time getting in and noticed how the driver's eyes instantly fell on her almost bare legs as she took the seat next to him fixing her dress a little. It was a lovely reminder of the appreciation men had for her and she once again realized she missed it in the more civil social circles she had been part of for as long as she could remember.

"Where to, miss?" He finally managed to lift his gaze all the way up to her eyes and she pretended not to notice he had been staring.

"Dallas County Jail." She said nonchalantly keeping her eyes on the road.

"Alright then." He replied as if she had just asked to go for a manicure.

...

"I got your little message, Harris." She placed her purse on the table taking as much time as possible. There was an air of suspense hanging in the room and she felt naked in some way even though there was a glass separating the two of them.

"Like clockwork, Annie. I knew you'd come." His eyes twinkled in a way that was just plain wrong given the man behind them.

"Save it. Just tell me what it is so I can leave this stinking hole you fit so well in." She felt a little light-headed and was certain the situation wasn't going to get any easier for her so she tried to be as indifferent as she could. It had to be the best defense.

"Ah, still got that spice I see."

"More than you could handle."

He smirked suggestively and she instantly regretted following his lead. How he always made her head spin in that direction was a talent that should have been killed a long time ago when she still had the chance. There was no choice but to play along now. She flipped her hair a little keeping her chin up. Harris's eyes only grew hungrier and she enjoyed the thrill knowing he had no chance to lay his hands on her now.

"Harris, I'm waiting."

"I bet you are."

"That's enough." She broke the moment disappointed in herself for not being able to keep up the act for longer. His eyes were now eating her up piece by piece while his mouth was either preparing to talk or to join in on the feast. She tried to wait and he must have known she was doomed to fail.

"Unlike you I don't have all day, so just get on with it." She pressed, now desperate to get out.

He gave her one last long glance and she championed through it.

"I heard about old J.R.'s masterpiece, that piece of crap that got me here." From the way he spoke one would have thought he saw it as a failure on the Ewings' part.

"It had nothing to do with J.R. That was all you, and us." Ann responded with a cocky smile and could see some annoyance in his expression before he brushed it off with a sneer.

"Whatever." He continued with a tone that was now unwavering. "I've got a masterpiece of my own on the way and I'm gonna need a bit of help from you."

Ann laughed because that was what she had sworn to do if Harris ever tried to mess with her again. There had to be a funny side to it all, if she only dug deep enough.

"Has that tiny cell made you lose every last bit of sense you had left? You must be out of your mind to think I'd do anything for you." She had a wide grin on her face but also a cold shiver crawling up her spine and absolutely no idea where it came from.

"Oh but you will. Unless you want my plan to unravel faster...more prominently, should we say. In which case it will be destructive to certain parties involved." There was darkness in him now and she waited for as long as she could to respond because the worry had taken her over inside and it was bound to be heard in her voice.

"What the hell are you talking about? Can't you just say it?" She blurted out with as much strength as she could muster.

"I'm afraid I can't. The walls have ears, Annie darlin'."

Ann snorted and turned her head away trying to use her mind power in order to flee from the nightmarish situation. No way was Harris Ryland threatening her from behind bars. It was a new low for her and worst of all he seemed to be aware of that. Whatever she did now would only prove he still held all the cards.

"So..." He went on, not letting the prison glass be of any hindrance. "...here's the deal. You call this number...Annie get a pen and paper, will ya."

With a deep breath she took out her phone and listened carefully when Harris spelled the name and number effortlessly from memory. When she was done typing she slowly lifted her head only to be met with eyes that meant business and deprived her of any willpower she might have had left.

"You call him, right away when you get out. Can't waste any time here." He winked in that arrogant way she hated so much. "And he'll tell you what to do."

"What makes you so sure I'd do any of that?"

"Oh you'll find out soon enough." He leaned back looking satisfied while Ann's back was about to snap from all the strain. She tried to relax her shoulders but Harris only smiled which made her even more uneasy.

"So watch your step, Annie. Or better yet don't." His face slowly twitched into an evil grin.

"It'll be more fun that way."


	2. The Unfriendly Dinner

The moment Ann was outside she took her phone out and re-read the name Harris had given her.

Sam Shady

_That can't be real._

She hesitated a bit. Everything looked different in the afternoon sun and Harris was suddenly very far away. What could he do to her anyway? She then thought of the fire and shuddered.

_He wouldn't hurt me._

The thought didn't help as she wasn't so sure for anyone else's safety. But what if making that call would only set everything in motion? She had already gone too far, it was that gut feeling she could not shake. Or maybe this was how Harris liked to pass his time nowadays, to see how much he could agitate her even when he was locked up. It wasn't like he had anything else to do there, she hoped.

Her thoughts shifted to Bobby and how disappointed he had been every time she had given into Harris's games. Letting him down again was more than she could bear and if he even caught a whiff that she had been to see Harris...

_No, this is as far as I'm gonna go with him this time._

She called a cab instead. There was a little shopping she had to do in order to get rid of any suspicions on her husband's part.

...

As hard as she tried the sleep would not come. What if she woke up surrounded by flames? Harris wouldn't do that, would he? It didn't take her long to become convinced the house was actually on fire and she quickly got out of bed to make sure her mind was only playing nasty tricks on her. She took one last look at Bobby who was sleeping so peacefully, blissfully oblivious to their imminent fate. How much baggage had she brought along with her and there seemed to be no end to it. He had only ever ensured her safety and even though he had been reluctant to fulfill some of her wishes there was no question he loved her and would never put her in danger. Now here she was allowing Harris to make cracks in their cozy little paradise.

She tiptoed around the house her heart plummeting at every unexpected sound that was either real or just in her head but nothing out of the ordinary could be seen. Yet it didn't make her feel any safer. Dragging her feet she ended up in the living room where she had left her phone, an unconscious effort to keep Harris as far away from her bed as possible. There was only one thing to do and so she picked up the phone and went out the back door.

"How may I help you?" The politeness of this young man's voice was not what Ann had expected, especially when she was making the call at 2 a.m. She figured Harris just never let his staff sleep.

"Harris asked me to call so please don't ask any questions. I really have no idea."

"Oh so late you're calling...Mr. Ryland won't be happy about this."

"Who cares about his happiness? You must be the first one. Just tell me what it is you need to tell me so I can go back to sleep."

"Huh, he's keeping you awake isn't he? Yeah he tends to have that effect…"

"For the love of God, just tell me." Ann sighed running out of patience. The man was getting on her nerves more than Harris did that very morning.

"Yes...so, you'll have dinner tomorrow night at Juan Mendoza's place. You may have heard of him, used to work with Harris a few years back. Didn't end well between the two of them but I won't get into that."

Ann shook her head wondering if she was dreaming after all. "No, I haven't heard of him. In fact I know nothing about what Harris does these days and quite frankly I don't care. And you'd be insane to think I'd go meet up with this Mexican drug lord which I'm sure he is."

"I don't think you have a choice, Ann. I was given very specific instructions in case something goes wrong and I'd hate to go there. I'm not a bad man, you see."

Ann stifled a nervous laughter that was about to escape her lips.

"Anyone who deals with Harris is deeply damaged in some way so don't try to fool me."

"I assure you I'm not. But one day he'll be free and he will remember those who had his back and those who didn't. It's an easy choice to make. Now before you go to see Mr. Mendoza..."

"Are you crazy, I most certainly am not going there!" She then glanced up worrying if Bobby might hear her. All the windows were closed which calmed her down a bit.

"Please, Ann. You don't have a choice, unless you want for these ugly things to befall on you. Accidents happen, even to those we care about, and sometimes you just might never know how they occurred or by whom."

Her heart dropped as she listened carefully but there were voices at the back of her mind that argued with the man. She decided to put them out there.

"Harris wouldn't hurt my family. His actions may be despicable and Lord knows he's got some serious issues, but he is not evil. He would not physically touch anything that is dear to me."

"But how far do you think your shield of protection will reach? Are you willing to find out?"

"Is that a threat?"

"If it was, what would you do?"

Ann felt a lump in her throat thinking of all the worry she had felt before making the call. How small those problems seemed now.

"I honestly don't know."

"I think the answer is simple."

She gulped hard shifting her weight from her left leg to her right. The darkness of the night was starting to match the tone of the conversation and she remembered the anxiety that had crept up her spine when Harris had given his instructions. Would it be easier to just go with it?

"If I do this, is that all? You have to tell me, just one dinner and that is all?" She was now talking to herself for the most part, hoping it would be as simple as it sounded.

"You'll present him with false information about Harris's whereabouts after their partnership ended. It should work out perfectly since you're his enemy number one. Juan won't suspect anything."

"Are you kidding me? You're sending me out to slaughter."

"Ah Harris was right when he said you would be a little dramatic…Now, you'll need to meet up with me before you go there so listen carefully."

Ann went back inside and wrote down the instructions her hand shaking as if it was in part being controlled by Harris.

...

The murky road did nothing to calm her nerves. Who even lived this far in the forest? That alone was enough to confirm that the people in question were up to no good. On the seat next to her lay a black book the young man Sam Shady, whose name had turned out to be somewhat appropriate, had nervously handed out to her. She believed the shy schoolboy act was just one of his multiple personalities, a strange power play that Harris had without a doubt taught him. At leaving Ann had felt good, as if she was happy to do the favor.

_Oh Harris, you and your little minions. Where will it end?_

The fear surged without warning and left her cold again as she arrived at the estate. Three dark shapes appeared out of the shadows so conveniently in a true horror movie style she would have laughed had she not been so startled. They were approaching fast and that was when she realized the book was still on the seat. She hastily stuffed it in her bag and at that moment the largest of the men tried to open the door. She panicked at the intrusive behavior and opened the door right away to retain some kind of peace between them. When she looked up she thought the man looked every bit of the gorilla his large frame suggested him to be.

He held out his hand and didn't wait for her to take it. With one yank she was being forced out of the car. The other smaller guy with rugged look and piercing eyes, that looked evil to her, took the bag from her hands. Her heart stopped and she almost yelled but at the last minute thought better of it. Maybe acting suspiciously now wasn't her best option.

She was relieved to see the guy only inspected the bag superficially, feeling the inside for a gun before giving it back right away.

"You're good then. Come, let's have dinner." The gorilla guy spoke in a friendly voice which did not ease her stress one bit.

….

He was as beautiful as a man could be with his mahogany brown skin and eyes that were a little too light to seem real. They were luring and yet they did nothing for her. She had a type and he did not fit in, try as hard as he might. Every time he glanced up from the file she had given him she felt more uneasy. He seemed to be more interested in her than the supposedly important information she had shared with him.

"Fascinating." He finally threw the file on the table among the half empty dishes and used napkins. It had been a delicious dinner, she could tell from the way everyone else had happily emptied their plates. She had not been able to taste anything as she mechanically swallowed bite after bite of her spicy beef fajita.

"Was it what you had hoped for?" Ann found herself asking, intent on staying composed even if it meant for her eyes to pop out of her head.

"We will have to see." He tapped the table and grinned.

"Anything else you might need?" Where the questions came, Ann had no idea. She figured she must have gone into a shock.

Juan winked at her smiling warmly. "That's up to you."

The turn of the conversation was making her tense and it turned out to be the perfect moment to complete the mission. Ann excused herself and asked to go to the bathroom praying they wouldn't notice just how much importance that question held. Juan explained the route Sam had given her earlier and she was relieved when no one came after her. The most dangerous part of the evening was at hand and she couldn't afford to make one mistake. Heart pounding in her chest she entered the library that was on the way and wasting no time put on the gloves before she pulled the book out, a close replica of Harris's black book. She tried not to think too much of what it all meant, placing that book on the shelf, quite possibly framing that dangerous man for something. It suddenly dawned on her that if they found out she was behind it any problems she may have had with Harris in the past would seem almost non-existent in comparison.

Something moved and she jumped, already prepared to die on the spot. It turned out to be the leaves of the trees flowing in the wind outside the window but all she could see were Harris's arms reaching out for her. She felt she was about to choke and backed out of the room hoping to breathe more easily elsewhere.

The task was done and she had no desire to stay one minute longer. Once she came out of the bathroom her feet were already leading her to the door but Juan's men seemed to have predicted that for they were there waiting with handguns.

"Not quite yet. The fun is only getting started." Juan's voice from behind her crept under her skin and she froze.

He pulled her by the arm with enough force to leave a bruise and dragged her to the couch. The guns were making her too nervous to speak and she sat down her head slumping between her shoulders. Learning what might happen to a woman alone in a house with three men and who knows how many firearms had never been on her bucket list.

"You know, I knew your ex-husband pretty well. Brilliant business partner when you don't try to cross him…didn't really enjoy discussing his women either." He paused and Ann nodded calmly, lifting her head a bit to gain some credibility.

"I used to tell him what I'd do to you one day, of all the things I'd do. It made him so mad I just didn't want to stop." His eyes had started to linger, Ann now noticed.

She started to get an idea why they had needed her for this specific task and it made her sick to her stomach. Of all the things Harris could have chosen for his revenge this was just plain cruel.

"Ever tried it?" In his hand he showed what was bound to be what she had feared. Ann turned her face away terrified.

"Let's take some, what do you say?"

She could only shake her head at first and got a pitiful look in return.

"Not the answer I was looking for."

"Please, I'm driving." It was all she could think of and she knew there was no hope when her voice cracked at the end. In the midst of fear she was angry with Harris for putting her into such a situation and at the same time she found herself wishing he was there. As much as he took part in illegal activities he would never take the stuff himself. It was one of the upsides to his conceited personality, he would never do anything to destroy his precious body.

Juan laughed with delight. "Don't you worry about things like that, baby. There's plenty of entertainment here for you to last a long evening."

"Please, I really can't." She tried to sound rational. "Trust me, I won't be much fun for you."

His laughter was now loud enough for the sound to echo on every wall and all the other men quickly joined in as well, was it for politeness or fear, she didn't want to know. There was lust in his eyes and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"Harris Ryland married you. That says it all, don't you think?"

Ann desperately wanted to keep the conversation going in hopes of winning time but she had nothing to respond to him with. This seemed to make him happy.

"The man has exquisite taste…" He brushed her cheek in a not so loving way, more like one would do examining a dead body, and she felt dented at every spot he touched.

"I used to see some of the chicks when they left him hotel room." He closed his eyes dramatically in a moment of nostalgia. "You know what they had in common?"

"Well…?" Ann forced the word out of her mouth still hoping he would let go if she remained still and unaffected by him.

He opened his eyes revealing the sick deformed soul that lied beneath his beautiful exterior.

"Nothing." He smiled manically. "One was crying like she had just left a therapy session, one was clutching her shoes in her hands and scratching her chest with those heels and then there was my favorite…the one who was jumping and screaming something about him needing to work on his issues. Unfortunately I could never get it out of him, what he did with them."

Ann tried to picture the scenes and was briefly bursting with questions herself. There were a few reasons she could think of but nothing that fit to that extent.

"…but lucky for me, now I can finally unveil the animal I know is hiding somewhere under all this."

His eyes told her he meant every word and she felt beads of cold sweat on her temples. Her feet were numb.

She slowly shook her head again, begging for her life.

"I'm married now, please, just let me go." She couldn't even blink from her terror.

"Have a little and then we can talk." He handed out the bag to the gorilla guy who quickly made two lines on the board. Ann wondered if it would be easier to ask them to shoot her and be done with it. At least then the ordeal would be cut short.

"Well?" Juan held out the straw for her and she still tried to silently beg him.

"Or would you rather jump right to the latter part hmm?" He placed his hand on her back and ran it down to her waist where he pulled her even nearer. The closeness of him felt so wrong every fiber of her being protested it. There was nothing in the world she wanted less than to surrender herself to the slimy drug trafficker.

"What's it gonna be?" The words hang in the air making the time stop in her head. She took the straw and tried her best to act as if she knew what she was doing when she leaned forward. One line disappeared before her eyes.

_Well that wasn't so bad._

Juan kept his arm on her shoulder, a small gesture that made her want to scream but she tried to hold herself together. When she looked up he took her chin and turned her to face him. He pointed to the left side of his nose implying she hadn't yet finished the job. She did the same with the other line as fast she could hoping the less time she spent on the effort the smaller the sin would be.

Somewhere in the background she heard cheers but her head was now light and she found herself not caring as much. The effect was so fast she wondered why she had resisted at all.

_If this is all it takes..._

She felt hands on her blouse, or were they inside? All her clothes seem to be on but there was sickening voice by her ear and it was disgracing her.

"What's little Mrs. Ewing gonna do now? Let me see your secrets?" His hand fumbled her belt and that was when she saw clarity again. With a strange wave of fearlessness she pushed him back and jumped to her feet.

"I did what you asked. Can I go now?"

Juan glanced at the big guy but she missed what he gestured back at him.

_What's going on..._

"If that's what you want then I guess I can't stop you." There was sarcasm in his tone but she didn't care. With only a few strides she was out, determined not to be stopped.

Ann felt all their eyes on her as she opened the car door and the only thought that remained was getting away in a flash, to disappear. The car mirror told her there was no one in her trail but she felt she was being followed all the same.

The speed could have been anything between a snail's pace and the maximum. It made no difference to her until the stumbling figure of a man appeared in her blurry vision and the next thing she knew there was a heavy bump and the silhouette had disappeared.

At the same time headlights appeared behind her. She had been followed after all.

….

Harris had never been as patient as he appeared to the outside world but he had mastered the art of hiding his weaknesses. In fact his mother was the only one who knew about his burning need for things to start happening, the overpowering rage that exploded within him when an obstacle occurred. That was the reason she was the only person who could ever have him in complete control. Ann had been well on her way but Harris was happy to see she still had a lot to learn.

He had many reasons to be impatient now but none of them bothered him this time. Things were finally happening and best of all, somewhere on the other side of Dallas Ann was most likely fearing for her life. He thought about her going home to Bobby keeping all her secrets inside, thinking of him even when she was lying next to her husband. That was all Harris needed to know in order to get a good night's sleep and those were rare in the place he was staying.

_Not many nights left now._

He lied down on the bunk thinking of the worry in Ann's eyes, the stiffness in her body when she had entered the room and the slight blush on her cheeks whenever he laid his eyes on her. Soon he would see a whole lot more of that glorious pain.


	3. Collision Course

In the past Ann had been scared of the most common things, having the odd sneaker follow her to her car, almost crashing into someone speeding through an intersection or when Bobby's health had failed him despite his declarations that he wouldn't leave her for a long time. She had so much good in her life but if those safety nets were ripped away she was a terrifyingly vulnerable person under all that.

This was the moment she learned that unwelcome lesson, standing on a dark road after crashing her car, wondering why she hadn't think to bring a gun along as the men who had only moments ago forced her into illegal activities were now approaching her. The only thing that kept her from running headfirst into the woods was the white powder in her system, giving her the courage she knew she never really had.

Juan seemed delighted, as if this had been the perfect ending for the evening.

"That's a nasty crash you got yourself in. Driving under the influence, hitting a pedestrian, just wonder what that husband of yours would have to say about that."

All Ann could think about was the man she had possibly killed but no one could be seen on the road and only the headlights illuminated the ground. He must have plummeted into the forest, now lying there either dead or his vital functions slowly failing, dying an agonizing death thanks to her.

"Did you see him?" Ann looked around feeling as if she was about to vomit and tried to pick a direction to go. "I have to find him."

Before she could take one step into the woods Juan grabbed her by the arm and threw her against the car.

"Listen to me." His voice was quiet now, the dangerous kind. "We've got it all on tape and if you do as I say there will be no need for the police to get involved. I'm sure you'd like to avoid that."

She stared at him, faintly aware of what he was saying.

"Or would you like for us to call them right now, have you tested? I'm not gonna lie, I'd love to see your pretty ass get thrown in jail." He felt her up to make the message clearer and Ann instinctively kicked him, only managing to hit his calf. This evoked laughter from him and she wriggled in his hands sweat dripping down her forehead from nothing but fear and anger.

Juan's mood seemed to have changed suddenly, or maybe the evilness was all there was to him and the rest of it was just an act to scare his victims. Having worked this out however did nothing to soothe her state of mind when she felt his breath on her neck. Teeth gritting he hissed in her ear.

"I don't know why you came and I don't really give a crap but now that you are here I'd like to ask you to do something for me. Hmm?"

She tried to pull away disgusted with the feel of him close to her face but he only pushed her harder against the vehicle.

"You remember where you stayed with Harris in Austin? There are a couple of things I'd like to get from that apartment and that's where you come in."

"I can't do that." She whispered, already knowing it wasn't of much help.

"I don't care how you feel, just do it." He picked up his gun making her cry into the night.

"That's better. I think we're on the same page now." He grinned sliding the cold metal down her neck and she could only breathe in short gasps. Her heels were making tracks in the grain as she tried to stay in an upright position.

"You see…Harris has pictures of me, very regrettable ones. I need them back." He loosened his hold a little and Ann managed to catch her breath again.

"They are old ones but I'm sick of them hanging over my head. I need the pictures and negatives from his study."

Ann had a number of questions on mind but nothing came out of her mouth. All she wanted was to get away and so she nodded at him her fingers scraping the car door.

"That's good." He kissed her cheek so unexpectedly she barely registered it. "And this is just between us. If I hear one word…then I'm coming after you with all I've got. Do we have a deal?"

She nodded again, hardly comprehending what she was agreeing to.

….

_I should call the police, and ambulance..._

_That man must be severely hurt..._

_Harris..._

_I can't go to Austin…_

_Juan will probably kill me and everyone I know._

She was out of ideas. How much easier had everything seemed when she left Southfork that evening thinking she would only be gone for a couple of hours. The Ann from six hours ago may have had some serious problems but nothing to this degree.

The Sun had gone down a good while ago and Bobby was bound to be home already. This meant a change of plans. She nervously pulled over at the highway and searched for her phone in the bag. Unable to reach it with her shaking hands she ended up throwing half of the contents on the seat and kept checking the rear view mirror for reasons she didn't understand.

The phone finally in her hand she ignored the missed calls from Bobby and started flicking through the movies that were currently screening in theaters to come up with an alibi, all the while knowing he would find it strange that instead of making dinner she had snuck out for a movie all by herself. The lists seemed never-ending and she still had to search for reviews to make up an opinion of the particular film she had watched. With each minute that passed she could feel hope draining out of her and the plan started to seem ridiculous. She couldn't make up her mind on anything and tossed the phone on the seat, hunching over the wheel in desperation.

Being alone there would have been the perfect time to let the tears out but the lump in her throat was larger than ever and therefore unbreakable. She was too petrified to deal with everything that was spiraling around her. Outside cars were hurtling by in an endless line and she laughed thinking how it was just like life passing her by. One steer of the wheel and she would be crushed under them. What a fight she had ahead.

Ann decided to get home and figure it out from there. She sneezed again and again trying to get rid of any traces of the activity she had been involved in.

….

"Annie." Bobby greeted her with surprise and sounded a little worried. "I tried to call you…"

"I know. I'm sorry." Ann tried to make her way upstairs but before she had any chance of escaping he was already by her side reading her like a book.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing…I'm just tired. You know how I drive when I'm…tired. I got scared a couple of times." She still tried to hide her face from his ever so insightful gaze.

"If you were too tired to drive you should have called me."

_Has he always been this pushy?_

"I said I'm tired, not incapable of driving." She shot back more maliciously than she had intended and he flinched stepping back.

"I was just worried. Something serious could have happened." He tried with a more soothing tone that only irritated her.

"Wouldn't you like that."

"What?"

It came out of nowhere but once it had started Ann couldn't stop it. She enjoyed the look of confusion on his face. It was about time he learned he didn't know everything.

"You'd just love to hear that I crashed the car, because you're always right. Well I'm sorry to disappoint you but nothing serious happened!"

"Annie, have you taken something?"

_That sharp son of a…_

She was shaking with rage now and for a second he looked truly scared until he returned to the basic Bobby mode.

"Fine, let's just go to sleep." His suggestion sounded so patronizing to her she was about to say something mean in response again but then heard the voice at the back of her head telling her to calm down. Maybe sleep was the best solution. Everything would look brighter in the morning and if she was lucky it all would turn out to be nothing but a nightmare. She just had to get away from Bobby to cool off.

She tapped him on the shoulder awkwardly because she could barely speak from the anger pulsing through her veins. "That's a good idea. I'll go get ready." Without looking back she rushed up the stairs as quickly as she could.

….

Ann couldn't remember ever seeing Harris look curious because every single time that had happened her own eyes were blinded with rage, as was the case now. There was a blur of orange color, a little movement where his head cocked to the other side in recognition and then there was that chair she remembered from the last time. She sat down to get as close to the source of her anguish as possible. It brought great satisfaction to have his monstrous face only inches away, like one of those ugly hairy spiders you could only bear to watch through a glass. They don't look half as scary when there's a barrier in between.

"So...did you finish the task?"

"What the hell was that?" Ann ignored the question on purpose. She was fuming, had been for a solid 12 hours and now that she finally had someone to take it out on she wasn't going to let go. If this had been Harris's plan he was much sicker than she ever knew and that kind of uncertainness pulled the rug from under her.

"What was what, Annie?"

"You know damn well." She hissed with all her repressed anger she had tried to keep hidden from Bobby from the moment they had both crawled in bed the night before. It was not only the terrifying dinner, the cocaine snorting and the crash that made her furious. It was the fact that Harris had yet again driven her to breaking point and she even let it show for her husband. Bobby must have known something was up, despite her attempts to make up for her behavior the moment she woke up and realized how unfairly she had acted towards him. As always she was grateful for his patience, a quality she greatly lacked when it came to Harris.

"We can sit here all day but I'm sorry to tell you, no clues, no answers." He spoke so casually he might as well have been sitting behind his desk at work.

"You are really something." She leaned back in her seat. "The great Harris Ryland, with all that money and an army of lawyers and yet all you do is try to destroy me. Is that all you are capable of in the end?"

He smirked as if he was watching world class entertainment.

"You're pathetic. Do you realize that?" She tried again but nothing would crack that hard shell he had shielded himself with. It was enough to make her want to scream but she couldn't help but give it one last shot.

"You sent me there, a room full of animals." Tears were burning her eyes now and she hated herself for not being able to put on even a fraction of that mask Harris had so well mastered himself.

Or so she had thought. The smile faded from Harris's lips but was quickly replaced by a look of fascination. He was regarding her as if she was one of the said animals, only the endangered one.

"What did they do?" He spoke slowly and the lightness of his tone distressed her beyond any emotion she had expected to feel. If she had died there would he even have blinked an eye?

Time seemed to stand still in the room now. She could only stare at him in shock but he didn't appear to notice for his eyes were distant. There was no joy or sorrow in them but they were clearly trying to picture what had happened to her in the house. She couldn't tell if he took pleasure in it but whatever it was it wasn't sympathy. By means of self-defense her hand fell to her chest trying to keep the blouse in place as she felt him undressing her and doing God knows what else with those dark eyes of his.

"You seem to have an idea so why don't I leave you alone now." She swallowed hard, feeling the final shreds of her humanity being ripped away by the sorry excuse for a man she wished she had never fallen for.

Ann walked away with only silence accompanying her but why did she feel Harris had had the last word?


	4. The Big Game

The lines were blurring in Ann's eyes as she scanned The Dallas Morning News page after page, paragraph after another for the smallest clue. Her fingers were damp and dark from the newspaper ink but she didn't notice it when she wiped her hair and tucked a strand behind the ear leaving black marks all over her forehead.

Across the room Bobby was enjoying his morning coffee with Sue Ellen who had decided to show up at an inconvenient time. Ann had barely said two words to her. Maybe if she was unwelcoming enough the rest of the world would finally leave her in peace.

_There has to be something in here. It's been almost two days since the crash for crying out loud._

Her heart jumped when she saw a headline that did nothing to elevate her mood.

_Man sentenced to 20 years for killing Coppell woman in DUI crash_

_No._ She thought. That would never be her. It couldn't.

She flipped the pages back and started again all the while trying to block the sounds of the conversation out of her mind. Nevertheless, it had now reached her ears.

"Ann is awfully keen on the news today." Bobby mentioned to Sue Ellen in passing but with a heavy meaning as he sipped his coffee.

"Oh?" She replied, purposely loud enough for Ann to hear but she ignored their little game.

….

They all walked out together but at passing Ann's car Bobby slowed down. His eyes were taking in the front end damage she had missed before, her mind having been otherwise occupied. The hood was bent and it hit her just how severe the crash had been.

He didn't say anything. That was the worst. She could hear his brain ticking as it put two and two together, possibly then subtracting one and multiplying everything by thousand.

_Just one step away from taking my blood while I sleep._

Once they had reached his car he looked at her with the kind of hope that only arises from desperate denial. To make matters even worse he then pulled her in for a kiss, one of those intimate ones that he never gave her when there was another person present. This time he ignored Sue Ellen's presence and embraced her long and hard leaving her no choice but to fall captive to all the love he was showering her with, of which she deserved none. Ann felt his hand on her cheek and it almost brought her to tears.

"You'll be there for lunch?" His lips had barely left hers when he posed the question to confirm their plans. There was an echo of finality to his words, as if he wasn't sure the lunch hour would ever arrive for the two of them. She wanted nothing more than to put his mind at ease for all the right reasons but nothing that came out of her mouth these days was fully true and so she nodded.

"Looking forward to it." Her smile was weaker than she wanted it to be and the spark in his eyes had died a little.

"I love you, Annie."

_Please leave my sight._

"I love you too." She managed to say before he reluctantly turned his back and left to face dangers he had no idea about.

….

Ann parked her murder vehicle two blocks away from Bobby's prying eyes but for all of Dallas to see in broad daylight. It felt like the right thing to do, to play with fate in such dangerous manner. If it was going to rain down on her, now would be the perfect time. She looked up at the sky but it was clear blue and it frightened her.

_Just let me have it already. Please?_

And just like that she felt a drop on her shoulder. Just one, but it started to grow in size and linger until it was itching at her lower back and then it gave her that cold, almost deadly chill. There could only be one reason for that. She slowly turned around feeling the color drain from her face all at once.

"Still?" Harris smirked stroking the fabric under his palm as her eyes, against her will, profoundly scanned all that she was faced with. There was not a trace of prison on his perfectly groomed face, maybe a hint of hatred in his eyes that had not been there before. She had missed it when the glass was there in between.

"You are scared." Harris stated nonchalantly.

She threw her head back wanting to scream of course she was but what good would that do. He was as infuriating as ever.

"How the hell did you get out?" She shot at him wanting to forget every single thing his hand had just made her feel. The air around them was sickening and she knew there was no Texas wind strong enough to wipe it from her skin.

"Not falling for that again." He eyed her shirt, the same one under which the wire had once been. "All I can say is they had to drop the charges after they came across some conflicting evidence. But you know more about that, don't you."

She opened her mouth but before the objections could fly out she realized he just might be correct.

_What if Juan knows? _

_Of course he knows._

She pushed the thought out of her mind because the fear she felt when it came to her family made her weak and there could have been no worse timing for such an emotion.

"What are you doing here? I did what you asked, and surely even a monster like yourself has to draw the line somewhere."

He laughed as if he had just noticed a funny twist to a comedic performance.

"You think I'm out to get Bobby?"

She tried to act indifferent, challenging him to tell more. There were ways to handle even a man like Harris Ryland and she was determined to one day figure it all out. For a moment it seemed to work but when he spoke again she knew she would always be played by him.

"Why would I go after him when I can have you do all the work for me?"

She felt her head bursting with rage again but was careful not to let it show.

"Well it's over now, so will you finally stop harassing me?"

"Oh but I can't. Not yet." He ran his finger along the roof of the car and Ann prayed he wouldn't notice the damage from the crash.

"Why the hell not?" She asked with anger she was helpless against.

He examined his fingers making her feel uncomfortable with the silent certainness he held and then looked up at the Ewing Global building. "I haven't forgotten about my masterpiece, you see."

"Oh I'll show you a masterpiece, and it's gonna be a barrel up your deep dark hole!"

"Jesus, Annie." He put his arm down and turned around as if he was dealing with a petulant child. "You sure you didn't do a stint yourself while I was locked up? That mouth of yours could use a little…washing."

Only he could turn her insides out with just one word. Her skin prickled under his degrading gaze and she felt sick but to her surprise slightly frightened as well, cause yet unknown.

"You're gonna pay for this." She hissed clenching her fists. "I don't know how, I don't know when, but somehow...you will pay."

"I'll be looking forward to that..." He glanced at her cleavage. "...very much. A refreshing change since I seem to recall you always enjoyed being whipped." His tongue swirled as if he was tasting the last word and when his eyes with no mercy dared to meet hers it was enough.

She raised her hand to slap him across the face with all her might but he caught her at the last second and his fingers burned against the skin on her wrist. She wailed and his eyes were alight with excitement.

"As much as I enjoy your little punches I'd appreciate if you tried to behave in public."

She let out a quiet gasp and took hold of her knees when her hand was freed. No words existed for what she wanted to say to him.

"Just let me know when." Harris whispered looking over his shoulder. He was gone before she could blink and in the distance she could see Bobby making his way over. He couldn't have seen Harris but somehow she was sure he knew.

….

The mechanic was as small and grimy as his workshop but desperate times call for desperate measures and Ann was more than ready to go through it if it meant having the car repaired in quiet.

"Oooh that's a big one. It's bad…bad…gonna have to replace the hood. That's gonna cost you. It ain't cheap this…"

"Yes, I got that." Ann exhaled loudly out of frustration as she tried to fan herself with her purse. The air was standing still while time unfortunately was not. She paced back and forth waiting for a definite answer that didn't seem to come.

"Just saying, it might take weeks to get the parts."

Ann 's eyes popped out of her head. "Weeks?"

"Yes miss, that's the nasty side to crashes. Can't predict them. How did this…?"

"How much?"

"Umm…"

Ann figured the guy had planned to bemoan the incident for a good few hours and ask too many questions while he was at it. There were only two things that would shut up a man like that and the more effective one she was not going to submit herself to. She pulled out a stack of bills, leaving a fair amount in the wallet in case that would not do but she needn't have worried. He was ecstatic.

"Oh, well in that case..." The look on his face quickly turned from glee to paranoia and she couldn't blame him. Why would anyone with money show up here? In some way it felt wonderful to feel at power after the horrifying few days she had run around her heart in her throat and so she decided to enjoy the feeling while it lasted.

"Do you think you could make things move along a little faster with that?"

He seemed to contemplate whether to ask for more but Ann had already known to expect it and gave him one of her fierce stares. It worked as it always did.

"Yes…of course." He quickly stuffed the pile in his pocket as if fearing it might dissolve into air. "I will do my best."

She put on her warm smile again and gave his shoulder a light rub. "That's perfect, thank you."

Ann walked away engaged in thoughts about Bobby and the knowing look she was no doubt going to receive from him when he would find out she had left the car to be repaired. Whatever excuse she gave him now would only lead him into making even more out of it.

_If only I didn't love smart men so much. Life would have been hell of a lot easier._

And then waiting for her by the road there was the worst one of them all, the one she had never asked for. Juan finished his cigarette at the sight of her and stomped on the butt as he leant against his black Lamborghini.

"Ann, oh Ann…" He shook his head when she got closer. "What a dirty hole you've walked in. Thought Mrs. Ewing held some standards."

"What do you want from me now?" She tried to keep her voice from shaking but her feet were already dragging.

"I'm just making sure you're holding onto your end of the bargain. And seeing as you're still in Dallas, it's not going to my liking so who knows what kind of actions I may have to take." His eyes bored into hers while he held one finger up and it hovered before her in an unpredictable way as if trying to pick the one spot that would violate her the most. Ann held her breath for as long as she could until her nerves caved and she jumped back.

"Keep your filthy hands off me!" She fished for the gun in her purse trying not to fall into a panic but he was two steps ahead. The bag was on the ground before she could regain any function in her hands.

"Filthy, you say? Now that's not very nice, _Annie_. I happen to hold a great deal of pride in the way I look after myself." He grasped the front of her shirt and pulled her closer.

"Now you on the other hand are dirty, and I like that."

She felt limp in his hands and therefore couldn't bring herself to object when he picked up her purse and then dragged her to his car. It was as spotless inside as it was on the outside and only smelt of leather but the company she had was enough to turn it into the smell of deceit.

"You're lucky I need you. That stunt you pulled the other day could have got me into real trouble."

She closed her eyes as her heart jumped. "What happens when you don't need me anymore?"

The dilapidated neighborhood was already flashing by as he pressed heavily on the pedal and turned to look at her, seemingly not needing to keep his eyes on the road. "I think you should worry more about what happens if you don't do what I ask. That idle husband of yours is the easiest target in the world, bet his eyesight is nearly gone as it is."

Her stomach turned for the second time that day but this time it was only from cold fear.

"I think he just might surprise you." She looked out of the window trying to stay hopeful.

"I doubt he's surprised even you for a long, long time baby." His words crawled up her spine and she thought it was best to keep her eyes on him at all times.

….

Ann walked unsteadily towards the house that now wobbled in her eyes. After the unpleasant meeting with Harris, the terrifying conversation with Juan and the cab ride home that seemed to last forever all she wanted was to fall into bed and never wake up but time was not on her side now. There was no sign of Bobby and she felt relieved for the first time in days. It was the right moment to put the plan into action, no matter how impossible it seemed. There was simply no other way to break free.

She made a cup of tea hoping it would settle her mind.

_Routines are what keep you sane, aren't they? _

With the filled cup in one hand and the phone in the other she took a deep breath and made the call to Sue Ellen. Ann hated asking for favors but Bobby was already breathing in her neck and she needed space in order to succeed.

"To Austin? What…how?" The voice at the other end was filled with worry and Ann was already guilt-stricken.

_Not a promising start now is it…_

"Let's just say you had to send me there to look at properties you are planning to buy, but you are too busy to go by yourself. Could you go by this story?"

"Ann, I really wish you would tell me what this is about."

"Trust me, I can't. But it's only for a few days. Please? You'd already be helping me a lot with this."

There was a pause and neither wanted to argue.

"Yes, I'll do it. But please send me all your contact information while you're there. I have a bad feeling about this and I need something to hold on to."

Ann smiled widely but continued her tone unchanged. "Thank you, I will do that. Believe me, you've been a huge help and I truly appreciate that."

"Just don't make me regret this. You know I care for Bobby."

Hearing the name quickly wiped off any traces of her smile and the crushing feeling tore her stomach. "I won't." She said quietly before ending the call.

_Well Harris…whatever this is, I'm sure you had it coming. _


	5. Missed It

Bobby's eyes tracked her every move relentlessly as she packed and re-packed her satchel trying to fit everything in it. Dragging a suitcase along was something she wanted to avoid for she felt the emotional baggage was heavy enough to carry on her own. There was only so much she could lift without the aid of a man and the one who had always been there was now dangerously close to slipping away from her.

"Your trip seems awfully sudden. Are you sure everything is okay with you?" The worry in his voice was impossible to ignore and it hang still in the room, refusing to leave her alone.

"I'm fine, Bobby, really." She looked at him for about two seconds before the sadness in his expression forced her to turn back to her packing.

"And this has nothing to do with the fact Harris is out of jail?"

Ann froze. She had hoped it would have taken longer for the news to reach his ears.

"I knew that son of a bitch would worm his way out..." He looked out of the window as if expecting to see him flying straight past.

"H-Harris is out? Where did you hear that?" Her pulse quickened at the even more unpleasant turn the conversation had taken. It involved so many things she would have preferred not to talk about.

He looked at her with pity. "Annie...I told you I can handle him."

She could feel her spine snapping back into place. The escape was close and it would only take one final grave mistake for everything to fall apart.

"This has nothing to do with him. Although I am shocked to hear he's been set free already."

He seemed half-convinced as he stepped towards her. Maybe those were the words he had wanted to hear.

"Okay. But I mean it. If he gives you any trouble, anything at all, you come to me. Are we clear?"

She nodded with the smile that forced its way out whenever he made her feel safe and for a fleeting moment she was sure nothing could go wrong

...

"_You don't negotiate with a terrorist."_

_Wonder what Bobby would have to say about Juan._

Ann moved restlessly in her seat at the departure gate and watched as the masses of people stared down at their phones. Maybe there was someone in the crowd just as lost as her? She needed something to do with her hands too but at the same time it was impossible to focus when the minutes ticked on and nothing enjoyable was waiting at the end of the journey. Then an idea popped into her head. It made no sense at all but somehow she felt it might help her get on right track, and if not then in the right state of mind at least. Her thumb hovered over the name for a short while until she simply pressed it without thinking.

She could hear him breathing at the other end and the image of him chuckling silently invaded the most hidden places of her mind. Harris Ryland was a master at holding the strings.

"Annie, so soon…finally lost that last shred of dignity? Or are you still holding onto it with both hands like you do with that husband of yours?"

She could already feel him getting to her blood pressure and it was only 8 am.

"Unlike you I don't have to cling to anything. That's the perk to being kind-spirited, good things come to you."

"Things come on go, but power is what makes them stay." Harris paused for a short moment and she felt the electric vibe that connected his every word, letting the listener know he wasn't finished. "You'd be surprised to know how long you can keep people tied up."

Ann sighed. "I have no interest in _tying_ people up. Not everyone is as troubled as you are, remember that."

"That's just your problem, Annie. You can't distinguish what's good for you from all that you consider corrupt."

"And your problem is that you can't tell people apart from things. Maybe take a look around every once in a while and you just might see something truly worth your time." Her own frustration over Harris was beginning to annoy her more than the man himself.

"Ah, you see, I was never as blind as you think. That kind of ineptitude is all in Ann 101."

She refrained from commenting on his remark and tried to rewind back to the beginning but he had already done that.

"Now is there an actual reason for this phone call or are you just playing around?"

"Just figuring you out, Harris."

"Some things don't need figuring out, Annie. The most ruthless ones tend to have the simplest goals."

"Unfortunately in your case simple doesn't equal harmless."

"Like I said, you'd be surprised."

She hung up having had enough of Harris for the day. He had been surprisingly relaxed, not at all like the monster she had witnessed during the prison visits. Or maybe it was the fact she couldn't see _him_ that made all the difference?

...

Back at Ryland Transportation there was a man with a restless mind of his own now. He scrolled down the computer screen over and over again forgetting what he was searching for. Something was off about that call.

"Sarah!"

"Yes?" The frightened redhead popped up in the doorway.

"Find out where my ex-wife is, what she's doing. Now."

"I'll get on it, Sir." She stuttered nervously and closed the door.

Harris took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair tapping the pen in his hands.

_What could you be looking for, Annie?_

...

The receptionist took the stack of bills without blinking but Ann still felt like a criminal paying with cash. Yet, it was better than having Bobby find out where she was staying. The words Ryland Suites flashed in gold on the desk as she picked up her keycard. It was too flamboyant even for Harris but this place had Judith's signature all over it. Ann looked up at the chandelier that was sending its dazzling light into every faraway corner.

_You almost managed to blind me, didn't you?_

She grabbed her bag and was just about to head for the elevator when a young couple caught her attention. There was something familiar about the man, the blond stand-up hair, those bedroom eyes…she was sure it wasn't the first time he had caught her attention.

_That's right, he works at Ewing Global. _

As curious as Ann was about the coincidence she decided to get moving before they would notice her. On her way she thought she saw another employee from the firm.

_Too early to be this paranoid._

She closed the elevator door thinking hard. The plane ride had not provided her with any ideas but it was barely lunch hour and something had to be done, whether she had a plan or not.

….

At a short walking distance from the hotel there was the 30-storey building she had sworn to never set foot in again. How aggravating it was to be denied entrance now when she needed it the most. Even if she made it in how would she ever find the pictures? And what if there weren't any?

_Wouldn't it be easier to just shoot Juan and be done with it?_

The idea didn't seem half bad now that she was considering all her options. It would be quick and effective and most of her problems would go away with it. But when the time came would she be able to pull through?

She remained in the spot staring at the building but her mind was a million miles away from her mission. Memories came flooding back from all the times she had been both furious and desperate and every flashback involved Harris is some way. She thought about what she had wanted to do to him when Bobby told her about Emma. It ranged from running him over, with a truck, to burning his house down and him along with it. In all the years between then and now she had never been able to quite figure out what would hurt him the most. What could possibly devastate a man who could take away something so precious without a hint of regret?

Her head was hurting from all the thinking and she started to realize the job couldn't be completed without help but there was no one in her life that could be trusted with the truth. No matter who she told there was still a chance it might reach Bobby in the end. There was something about that name Harris, that whenever she said it out loud everyone in her company ceased to believe she held any common sense. It would then lead to them taking the matters into their own hands which in this case could prove fatal.

As the hours of the day went by she grew more afraid of that call from Juan she was bound to receive sooner or later. It wasn't the pictures he needed from Harris's apartment, it was the messing with her that must have been the whole point to all of this and the longer it took the more he would enjoy it. It was her final conclusion and she was still leaning towards the shooting as she headed back to the hotel.

….

Defeated after the uneventful day Ann made her way towards the hotel restaurant even though eating had been the last thing on her mind. She had put on a long strapless blue dress hoping that looking good would give her the strength to face the days ahead. If people noticed her there then so be it. She felt confident at first but seeing all the couples walking the same way without a care in the world made her feel lonely and vulnerable. It was enough to make her wish she had brought the gun from her room along as well. The darkness was following her now even though she had been fine only seconds before. Where did it come from?

As she was passing the reception one of the men, bald and slightly shorter than her, quit his typing and rushed after her from behind the desk.

"Mrs. Ewing! It's so good to see you here. How have you been?" He took off his glasses which completely changed his appearance and as taken aback as she was by his enthusiasm she noted he had kind eyes. It had been a long time since she had engaged even in small talk with the hotel staff and he seemed to sense her uneasiness as he quickly toned it down.

"Karl Baker." He shook her hand. "Things well at Southfork?"

_Do I know this man?_

"Yes, very." Ann uttered feeling the tension rise. She felt sorry for making the man feel uncomfortable only due to her own nervousness and forgetfulness. A little polite conversation surely wouldn't hurt.

"Forgive me, it's been a long day with the flight and everything."

"That's okay. High miles are always the most tiring of them all. Say, you travelling by yourself?"

_Huh?_

The red flags were waving all around her but she didn't want to be any ruder than she had already been.

"Yes I am, it's a little business trip for a friend." It had turned out to be a useful lie. "But I won't bore you with the details."

His gaze told her anything she said would have fascinated him but he did not voice it. "Well I don't want to impose but my shift is ending and I was just going to grab a bite to eat and you're more than welcome to join me. Harris doesn't talk much, especially about…well you know. I'd love to hear about your life in Dallas."

"There's not much to say…" She could see the faint disappointment in his eyes and realized she didn't have a reason to say no. Surely he would understand she wasn't up for anything more than a friendly dinner.

"Well why not." She smiled enjoying the idea of perfectly normal evening plans, free of Harris, Juan and Bobby. His face lit up as well and she could only hope she wouldn't have to disappoint him later.

….

"Really? Harris was shot before? And here at the lobby?" Ann put her fork down unable to continue eating even though a part of her was enjoying the revelation. Something about the way Karl had described the incident from three years ago made her think it was Juan but she didn't want to picture his face right now.

"He sure was, right in the left leg. Lucky that this guy missed the knee, otherwise who knows if he would still be marching here the way he does."

"Yes, would be a damn shame now wouldn't it." She didn't attempt to hide the bitterness in her voice.

"I take it you don't mind him getting shot every once in a while." His statement was half-serious and it made her grin slyly.

"I can see why you'd think that." She took a sip of water. "But what I truly want is for him to see the light, to stop messing with people and doing the wrong things out of greed."

He seemed surprised. "You know, you're the first person I've met who isn't terrified of him."

She laughed at the irony but kept on listening.

"You're an optimist, and smart. That's a combination I come across rarely."

"Well thank you, I do believe there's good in everyone if you dig deep enough. In Harris's case I fear I just never had the chance to get to the bottom. It would have taken more than any sane human being is capable of."

"Even the best of us fail sometimes."

She smiled in thought. "The best of us…"

The dinner was coming to an end and Juan was creeping back into her mind. It was the best shot she had.

"Say…do you think it would be possible for us to stop by Harris's office before you leave? I remember there was this painting I really loved back then and it would be such a delight to see it again."

He looked stunned and she regretted throwing the poor excuse out there. However, it didn't take him long to recover and she got the answer she needed.

"Yes, I think that's possible. Just excuse me." He took out his phone and typed a quick message. "Well I guess we're all set then."

….

_This is almost too easy._

Ann looked over her shoulder at Karl and smiled as she casually viewed the artwork on the walls. Not much had changed, even the old portrait of a ghostlike woman that eerily reminded her of Judith was still there, right above the black leather chair. Time had failed to lessen its horror value. She felt the coldness at her back like it was yesterday and the doubts kicked in. Her eyes searched for the most obvious place a spare key to his apartment could be found but there were too many cabinets and drawers to look through in the short amount of time she had. She could at best get away with one under his observant gaze.

_This was a stupid idea._

_Stupid idea is better than none at all. _

She threw caution to the wind and was just about to open the top desk drawer when there was a whisper in her ear. The voice had changed slightly after their dinner conversation.

"I'm so sorry, miss."

With that Karl turned away and vanished out of the door. In his place appeared an all too familiar shape, one she would recognize in any kind of darkness but this time his smile was vicious and unrecognizable.

"I always knew your life was dull, Annie. I just never knew you were this desperate for excitement."

Harris then slammed the door shut and removed his jacket as he watched Ann slowly take a step back.


	6. The Memory that Refused to Die

"Harris I..." A thousand words searched their way out only to be swallowed back down the moment she realized they would all fall short.

"...you were going through my office." He gestured at her hand that had now slipped back to the drawer handle as she stumbled against the desk that was blocking her way. It didn't help matters when every unspoken word shone through her eyes. He gleefully took them in one by one.

"Well it's your lucky day." He declaimed.

The black jacket was flung in her face and she smelled the faint aroma that was both floral and masculine. The scent landed on her as heavily as only an unexpected rain cloud would. Her neck twitched when his hand lowered slightly to bring his now expressionless face into her view.

"You have my full permission to go through it." He jerked the jacket again and she fell back a little. The grin never made it to his lips but she knew it was there and her nerves slowly started to get the best of her.

"I have everything I need, thank you very much." She replied with a similar lack of feeling in her voice.

"Not even close. Have a feel in the pockets, you might be surprised."

Ann had a feeling she might not want to be surprised ever again in her life but it wasn't her choice to make when he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and with a forceful tug shoved it down the pocket. The moment her skin made contact with the silky material all her limbs went weak and an indescribable fear spread through her body.

_It's so far beyond over. In what world does he live in? _

He pulled her hand out along with the scarf that matched her recollection in both shape and color. It almost burned in her grasp but the moment she tried to let go his hand forced hers back into a fist. She tried to struggle free her other hand still clutching her purse and as he fought to keep her still the jacket fell on the floor between them. This seemed to make him angrier than it should. She felt him loosen his grip and when the scarf joined the pile at their feet neither one gave it a second look.

"What are you doing?" He stared at her the last bit of glimmer in his eyes fading and for a fleeting moment she felt sorry for intruding on him. It was the most disconcerting feeling.

"I doubt you came all this way for my affection." He muttered taking a long look at her.

"I didn't know you'd be here." She continued to speak calmly to her best ability as she slowly moved to the left hoping to get past him.

He turned to her direction, not giving any proper indication whether he was letting her leave or not.

"Well I can see that, how your little head is shaking, the way you're holding that bag...I think it's safe to assume you're not carrying."

"I..."

"Tell me Annie, how does it feel like to be here?" He glanced down and smirked when his eyes caught her chest heaving at that exact moment. "You weren't very nice to me the last time if I remember correctly."

"Well that's nothing new now is it?" Her voice was trembling only slightly.

He chuckled. "Does it make you feel like breaking all the rules?"

"What rules?" She tried to step further away but he blocked her way with his hand.

"The ones you created for yourself. Don't you want to feel different?"

"I'm fine." She gulped and hoped for the wall to swallow her now. The sound of Harris tapping it with his fingers was an unpleasant reminder of how confined she was.

"Oh Annie, the lies you tell yourself. One year after another."

_Oh Harris, how you never change. _

"You only see damage in your way, don't you? Your mother taught you well, to never open your eyes where there's light."

"There's no light here." He gazed into her eyes and she swore he must have sucked it all out. "But since you opened the doors to the past the least you could do is give it a go."

"Never. You're so far off Harris you might as well be on another planet. Or maybe you are."

"I'm right here and I'm gonna fix you whether you like it or not."

She glanced at his arm that was still firmly pressed against the wall and tried to estimate just how much physical strength it was capable of. Back in the day she had never experienced him at full force but something about the situation was intimidating now. Maybe he had stopped caring for good.

"A virus can't fix me." She shot at him without blinking.

"A virus you say? I assume Bobby is just an annoying flu then?"

"Call him what you might but you will never have what he has." She felt the dryness in her throat and the words gradually faded into a mere whisper. With each tiny bit of energy she lost he seemed to gain even more and when she saw the deep rooted hatred in his eyes again the purse slipped from her hand. The loss of control startled her and she had barely recovered when his face was only inches from hers.

"It's just me, Annie. Nothing you haven't wanted before..." He grabbed her by the hair to lay her head firmly against the wall and she soon felt his breathing on her neck. "Nothing you haven't begged..."

"Get off me you disgusting big." She hissed through her teeth, trying to push him back with no success.

"That dirty mouth again. What do you call Bobby? A darling teddy bear?" He pulled her against his groin only to push her back against the wall moments later and terror surged through her body as she helplessly stiffened in his grasp that she had no means to escape from. His hands moved lower to her chest, pinning her harder each time she tried to struggle. She felt his arousal growing as he used his whole body to keep her restrained and to her horror his hands slowly but with persistent force pulled the top of her dress down along with the bra. His heavy breathing reminded her of a beast of pray that had found something to feast on after a long period of starvation. It was as if seeing her was already half the fun. Paralyzed by the reality of what was happening she tried to look away.

"Annie, Annie...give in a little. That's all it takes after all." He blew against her skin and all her bodily functions came to a momentary stop, all except the one that she had been denying all along. It made her frantic which in turn gave her the much needed strength. She focused all of it on her leg as she furiously kicked him where it was bound to have the biggest effect.

Harris gasped and dropped to his knees in a string of movements that resembled slow motion. A silent scream was etched on his mouth to perfect the beautiful picture. She watched him with a look of triumph as she picked up her purse and fixed the dress. Each motion was completed so fiercely and smoothly a voice inside her head couldn't help asking who that woman was. She didn't have a definite answer, only that Harris Ryland had pissed her off.

It was one step to the door when she turned around to admire the crumbled mess of a man on the carpet. What a sad life he led and for him to think she would go down with him again; how little he must have thought of her in the end. The words came out like the raging wind that blew them

"The day I give in you might as well pick my cold body off the floor."

She was about to turn away but couldn't resist watching a little longer when he turned his head towards her in a clearly painful manner but did not speak a word. Rendering him speechless would never fail to make even the worst of her days.

"But for future reference, try learning new pick-up lines. Desperation isn't pretty, Harris."

With that she turned on her heels and walked out, hardly believing her own ears.

She walked fast all the way to her room, the corridors blurring with each step. The palpitations were still growing rapidly which made no sense and she couldn't ignore the way they made her entire body pulsate. Every once in a while she would close her eyes in hopes of it being just another nightmare but when she opened them the ugly truth hit her all over again.

The keycard would not work and it was suddenly difficult to tell which way it was supposed to go. She kept glancing over her shoulder like a thief in the dark feeling like she was doing something very wrong. It was funny because all she had done was insult and hit Harris. The memory of him pulling her with every bit of intention to go all the way, the idea of what he might have done had she not kicked him…

She took a deep breath and tried to clear her head of everything that had to do with him. When she was done the card by some miracle worked and she got in, giving the corridor one last look to see she wasn't being followed.

_He wouldn't come here, would he?_

The room felt anything but safe now but she had no desire to go back outside either. She kicked off her heels and hurled the purse on the bed her mind set on turning things around. It had been an evening of poor judgment on her part and it could not be allowed to happen again. With no hesitation she placed her hands on both sides of the white dresser that looked like typical IKEA furniture but seemed to weight as much as a large wooden kitchen table. She pushed it across the floor praying it wouldn't leave a mark and then wondered why she cared. Once the exit was sealed she dug through her satchel for the case, snapped it open and with a steady hand inserted the ammo until the magazine was full. She smiled contently at the clicking sound feeling like the master of her own existence again.

_Juan, Harris and every goddamned asshole, I dare you to come through that door now._

...

A few grains of sand tingled under his palms as Harris gradually lifted himself off the floor. The pain soon pulled him down again and he rolled on his back cursing in his mind but holding his face still as if he was dead. He had expected a punch, nothing more, nothing less. That kick had been cowardly but what else could be expected of a woman like her?

When the worst was over the first thing to graze his vision was the painting right above him.

_One day I'll take you down but now is not the time._

He turned his head on the dusty floor, the physical pain being replaced by irritation over the incompetence that surrounded him. His phone vibrated for the third time and with fury he pulled it out of the pocket.

"What?" He asked stone cold.

"I saw her. Just give me one word and she won't be a problem any longer."

"Lose the act and just do your job. I'll deal with her. And send in a cleaner. I wouldn't wipe this floor even with your useless ass." To use the absolute minimum of his energy he ended the call the exact millisecond he had breathed out the final word. His hand fell back to the floor but his eyes saw much higher than the portrait on the wall.

_You always were a little cheap, weren't you?_

...

With the gun under her pillow Ann finally felt ready to strip down. She carefully folded the dress in the bag and at the same time wondered why her cheeks felt so flushed.

_Too much excitement._

The curls brushed against her skin as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes hoping to get lost in a world of her own. The escape was brief for the harsh intrusion carried a force that was considerably stronger than all her muscles put together. She touched her thigh briefly as she got up and that's when she felt it again.

_I really, really hate him._

She threw on her nightgown and yanked the covers as if trying to prove to the bed there was no more messing with her tonight. The sheets felt cool against her skin as she slipped between them but they couldn't extinguish what had started earlier. She put her hands on either side and fiddled with the satin impatient for the night to be over.

It dragged on and eventually she fell into a dreamlike state. It went on for a couple of hours until she jumped up at hearing noises outside the door. In only seconds she was wide awake and reaching for the gun until she realized it was just a drunken guest who had slammed his hand on her door while his presumable friends were busy figuring out which room was theirs. She sunk back on the bed feeling only a tiny bit of relief.

It was still bothering her and even worse than the pressing sensation between her legs was the train of thought that led her to the most illogical solutions. She had an inexplicable urge to call him and no clue what she wanted to say.

_Flawless job, Harris, as always._

When it was right it always gave her a sense of calm, safety, like being inside a bubble and only fearing the moment it might burst. But when it was wrong it crawled out of unexpected placed and attacked her without warning. One minute she was fine and the next her breathing was harder, as if her body was begging her to wave the flag. The invasion had to end.

She relished the idea of Harris never getting a taste of what she couldn't help doing now. She let it all come back, every touch, the feel of his muscles pushing her, his lips so very close and every word he had carefully chosen just to unnerve her. What was his loss would be her gain, she thought as her own touch set it all ablaze.

She wanted to be rough but at the same time avoid doing anything he had used on her in the past. The higher she brought herself the less she could remember and she ended up pinching herself violently in between strokes. Her body lifted off the bed as she felt the craziness take over.

_If you were here, Harris, I'd slap that smirk right off your face again._

She saw his grin all too clearly now and her other hand pulled the duvet over her head. When it became just a little too much she bit into it her eyes watering but felt no guilt or shame. It was only fair she could use him purely for pleasure after what he had tried to do to her.

In the darkness she could feel the silk gliding on her skin again, so soft and warm it was barely there and made no difference until it covered her eyes. After that she would only move where his hand told her to, her toes on his shoulders, sliding further down and allowing him to pleasure her in a way she had never asked of anyone since. With that vivid memory she reached a new high and the duvet muffled the shriek right before she came thinking of nothing but Harris inside her.

No matter what she told herself afterwards she couldn't help but feel violated.

….

It was close to 5 a.m. when the ringtone woke her up. It didn't take much guessing who it was and she felt nauseous at seeing the anonymous caller but it was unavoidable.

She didn't say a word when she took it but the silence didn't go on as long as she had hoped.

"Ann…giving me the silent treatment?" The sinful voice made her feel even worse after the activity she had engaged in earlier. Had the men taken her down with them or had the sick desire really lied dormant within her all those years?

"Let's just get this over with, Juan. I need to catch some sleep." She expected a painful conversation and hoped for it to be a short one, a quick sting.

"How is our plan coming along?"

"It's…" She pondered for a moment. Maybe telling the whole truth wouldn't play in her favor. She couldn't display weakness now. "I had a small obstacle but it's coming together."

"Oh I don't think you've earned your sleep yet. Time's a tickin'."

"It's gonna take a few more days, okay?" She closed her eyes upon realizing how easily the panic came out in her voice.

"A few more days? Ann, let me explain this to you since you're clearly lost. I gave you a mission to go to Harris's apartment. Now what in the world could be easier for you than that?"

"Well for starters I don't have a key."

"A key?" Juan burst out laughing. "Just call him up, unless he's already there which is possible knowing you've been there for almost 24 hours. And invite yourself over, child's play _Annie_."

Her hand clenched into a fist and pulled the sheet with it. "I don't plan on doing what you're suggesting. I have hus…" She zipped her mouth when it hit her what she was about to say but it was already too late.

"Faithfulness won't get you very far if you have no one to do it for." His voice was serious enough to fill her with terror and she pulled her nightgown lower trying to pass a subliminal message to herself.

"You are one shitty excuse for a man." Her anger still helped to push the tears back.

"And you are one wonderful pastime. Make me proud so I won't have to beat that fine ass of yours."

The line went dead and Ann dropped the phone as if she had just been electrocuted.

….

"A new room? Ann, I told you not to go to the Ryland." Sue Ellen must have been biting her tongue but Ann found even her most innocent remarks incredibly frustrating now.

"And you were right. Now please can you help me out and do a reservation for me? Put in at least 5 nights."

"Five nights? What are you doing? And why aren't you answering Bobby's calls?"

_I swear sometimes those two could be my parents._

The thought made her feel as guilty as it amused her. If Sue Ellen was ever going to slap her, those words just might have done it.

"Just trust me. I've been busy but I'll get back to him. Can you let him know I'm okay?"

"And how much _exactly_ would I be lying then? I'm not the least bit okay about this."

Ann ran her fingers over the strap on her bag unsure of which one of the two of them she wanted to strangle first, herself or Sue Ellen.

"I know and I'm sorry. Can you do this?"

"Well of course I can but you can't blame me for still hoping you'd come to your senses."

"Thank you, Sue Ellen." She said graciously, proud of being able to stay so patient.

"I'll call you soon with the information on the new hotel. Stay safe, Ann."

"Always."

She sat down on the bed next to the bag she had packed in the early hours of the morning. A plan was forming in her mind and she didn't like it one bit but then again there weren't any bright options available. The more she thought about it the harder the tears forced their way out. By the time Sue Ellen called back Ann was already on the floor sobbing into the silky sleeve of her shirt.


	7. As the Rain Falls Again

Ann rushed through the lobby avoiding eye contact with every single person there. She didn't want to run into any more employees or guests that she might recognize. In the pocket her phone vibrated for the upteempth time with a message she could have bet serious money was from Bobby. Had she been able to put aside all the threats that had come her way she would have been more than happy to pick it up and have his voice soothe her troubled mind. This was not the time. The lies had started to pile up and even the thought of having to hear him wish her a good morning made her feel sick.

Her eyes had glazed with thoughts of Bobby, his welcoming arms and words that would forever reassure her that everything would be fine in the end. She had never ached for them more. Yet she couldn't fathom why all that heartfelt pain faded so easily when she crashed into Harris on her way out. The impact shook her reflections into a new order and she quickly sprang back after feeling the strange energy that radiated from him and was still fresh within her from last night.

He took two steps in her direction, forcing her to move to the side but she clung tighter to her satchel indicating she was still going to head off as soon as possible. It didn't seem to affect him in any way as he spoke so flatly.

"Leaving already? Smart choice, Annie."

"And why is that?" She was suddenly suspicious of how much he knew. Could he listen in on her phone conversations at the hotel?

_Don't be crazy. He's not a God. If he was I'd probably be living in a cage._

"Just take my word for it." He glanced down and the last night's incident flashed in her mind. There was none of that desire in his gaze, nothing. The eyes that took her in seemed to view her as an object again, making her feel small and insignificant.

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm staying. Just needed a classier place to stay at. One without them rotten rats."

His brows furrowed, letting her remark slide. "Ann, just go back to Dallas."

"What?"

"You heard me. Leave this place, now."

She re-adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "Whatever you're trying to do, it ain't working. You can't control my coming and goings."

"I made you leave this hotel, didn't I?" His expression was cold and she simply took off without saying a word. It was a missed opportunity but she didn't care as all she wanted was to get away from him. The light of day had made her hesitate again and she knew she was subconsciously trying to pick a route that would only lead to another dead end.

It was time to be tough, time to be as calculating as the man who had started all this. The wind was brisk and it swept some of the weight off her, or maybe it was the fact that Harris had stayed on the other side of the doors. She took her phone out and called Bobby for what she feared might be the last time she could lie this lightly.

In a few hours she would receive a text with a few helpful tips from Juan and that was what sealed her plans for the evening.

….

"Mmm can you drop me off here?" Ann scanned the dark, half empty parking lot happy to see there was no one around. If she could sneak in unnoticed it might actually be possible to fool him into thinking she was there by coincidence.

"You sure, miss? It looks like a nasty storm is about to break and I'd hate to see that pretty dress get all messed up." His voice was polite but from the way he brought it up there was no doubt in her mind he wouldn't have minded one bit. Men were all the same and that was where she would play all her assets.

Ann opened her purse and took 30 dollars from the large stack that she had forgotten to leave at the hotel, mentally slapping herself for not hiding it better. The driver's eyes widened for that hardly noticeable moment it took anyone in an occupation such as his to mask his surprise. He took another look at her and she prayed he wouldn't ask how much it might cost have a little fun on the backseat.

It was such a small car anyway.

She had only taken a few steps when sure enough the heavens opened. Not looking back she started rushing towards the restaurant, hating that she would most likely lose the element of surprise. It was all going wrong from the start and had it not been for Juan's call in the early hours of the morning she would have run back to the cab and left it at that, thinking there would always be another day. Right now she wouldn't have bet on there being another morning.

As she got closer to the edge of the parking lot she saw a group of men approaching and judging by their attire she could have easily pictured Harris walking among them. However, there was no sign of that bald head and she felt relief even though it didn't make her job any easier. That meant he was still inside and she would be drenched by the time she got there.

There was something strange about the way they moved in unison, right towards her. She looked over her shoulder but the rain was falling hard now and her heart jumped in her chest making it hard to take in the surroundings with a quick glance. Was it her they were after? What if something had already happened back home in Dallas that day? She had not been in contact with anyone since her stressful conversation with Bobby that morning. Had she already sealed his fate?

"Ann?" An unfamiliar male voice called out.

By reflex she pulled out her gun before she could even see the source. It was supposed to be safe out here, no drug mafia, only Harris to deal with but she felt in her gut something was wrong and so she took aim at the first man she saw. He raised his arms and slowed down.

"Who's asking?" She called out loudly trying to flip her hair that was now dripping with rain all over her face.

"A father of two and that's all you should know. Put the gun down, darlin'."

A hint of embarrassment flushed through her and her lips parted in preparation for apology but her hands didn't lose their grip as she soon recomposed herself. This was one of those moments when she would fail in the past but not anymore.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" Her tone was stern but her gaze jumped from one man to the next trying to keep them all in her view.

"I work for Harris. Come on now." He stepped forward and she didn't understand why a man in such fine suit would rather stand in the rain with her than leave and find shelter.

"Stay back." It was at hearing Harris's name when it all came back and her trigger finger became restless.

"I will, knowing your history." He stopped a few feet from her looking to his left and then slowly turned his face back to her. There was a look of intense menace in his eyes and she didn't doubt for one second he worked for who he said he did.

It was then that she lost her balance. The air left her lungs and she crumbled on her knees only faintly hearing the gunshot and the cry that followed. It was one of the men that had followed the confrontation with no incentive to partake in it. He appeared to be shot in his leg and they were now all cursing around her while she tried to catch her breath still not sure what had hit her.

"That's what you're like?" The father-of-two snarled pulling her head up by the hair and slapped her hard across the face. She winced and covered the fall with her hand after he let go. Her dress was soaked now and the cold rain only heightened the pain when someone else kicked her on the back making it even harder to breathe. That was when she knew how she had ended up on the ground in the first place. She found herself lying on her side her eyes searching for the gun but it was gone and she only hoped they would stop once she didn't put in any resistance. Further away the wounded one was still wailing but no one seemed to care.

"You're coming with me." The voice was now anything but unfamiliar. She was sure she would still hear it in her nightmares if she was ever lucky enough to get more of those. The men pulled her up and she tried to avoid looking anyone directly in the eye in case that might provoke them more.

The wet dress clung to her knees and the soles of her high heels squelched against the asphalt as she struggled to stand still. Only her legs were shaking, the rest of her was frozen still. It was one last chance to appeal and she took it.

"It was an accident. I'm sorry." Her voice was as weak as she felt.

He slapped her again and now that the rain had started to dwindle the thud rang even louder in her ears. Tears burst into her eyes and she only hoped he wouldn't see them in the dark of the night.

"Didn't look that way to me. Who the hell brings a gun to a restaurant? You are an even bigger nutcake…"

"What's going on here?" A quiet voice spoke dauntingly from behind them.

Ann didn't have to turn even if she had been able to do that. She knew who it was from the chills that ran down her spine and she also knew the strange calm was only the tip of the iceberg. Any tiny crack might set it off.

They were still holding her by the arms and she tried to hide her face. It was already bad enough without him seeing her like that.

"Caught your ex-wife just in time. Looks like she was planning to pop a few bullets into you again."

Harris walked towards them with an obvious determination and they both let go off her. Ann could feel a sudden change in the atmosphere.

"I told you I'd deal with her." He barked.

"Yes but…" It was all he could say before Harris slapped him in turn.

"You useless moron, you do what I pay you for. Is that too damn hard for your tiny brain to understand?" He tapped the guy's forehead as if trying to force the point across.

They were all silent now and Ann couldn't take her eyes off Harris. He, however, did not look at her once.

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind." He finally caved half-heartedly.

"You better. Waste my time once more and I guarantee you won't be doing that to anyone in all of Texas ever again. "

Harris turned around sharply and it was like a hurricane had swept through them. Everyone was doing their best to hold still but Ann couldn't ignore him when his eyes were suddenly all over hers.

"Peeing yourself already, are you?" He sneered in a way she had never seen before. "Should have stayed at home, Annie. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

She swallowed and their eyes locked for one short moment when she saw his expression soften slightly before it slipped away from her again. He straightened his back and turned to the others.

"Get me her things."

A frail looking young man adopted the role of an assistant to his best ability and picked up the purse in a flash.

"That yours?" Harris asked pointing at the gun that lay on the ground.

Ann nodded nervously.

"Get me that too." He directed at the help and he jumped for the item while the rest of the group eyed each other in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Harris cast the bag in Ann's hands and she stumbled under the heavy impact. The gun was now left in his hand and he shook it drops of water splattering on his face. He grunted shaking his head and pointed the gun forward making everyone except Ann jump back. It only made a clicking sound but no one made an attempt to come any closer after that. Harris then threw the gun into Ann's hands as well and at that point the rest of the crowd started retreating slowly with him following them, holding his arm on her waist. She didn't have the energy to fight him off but still tried her best to keep his body at distance. Every time his fingers slid even an inch lower her back stiffened and she broadened the gap between them. Once the men made it to their cars doors were slammed and engines started revving as everyone speeded off. Harris opened the driver's door to the black BMW that was the only vehicle left and she took the opportunity to back away now that the danger was over for the most part.

"Thank you for your help, Harris, I needed it. But I'm gonna go now." She graciously placed the gun back in the bag as if she was holding nothing more than a lipstick.

He threw his head back in frustration. "Get in the car."

"No!" Ann shouted and at the same time realized she sounded like a little child. She brushed the hair from her face and instantly felt a cold breeze that left her freezing.

"I'm not gonna ask again." He took the bag from her hands and threw it on the seat. "Get in now."

She felt she must have been dreaming. Too many things were happening at once and she had lost hold of every last string. Time had to stop and so she stood still until he grabbed her by the arms and started dragging her to the other side of the vehicle. Being left empty handed her first instinct was to scream which was what she did. He instantly covered her mouth with his hand that was still dry, not even a hint of nervousness could be smelled there. His breathing had turned heavy as he pulled her along.

"It's only a ride, Annie. No need to be overly dramatic about it."

Once inside Harris took the driver's seat and got rid of the damp jacket shaking it off his shoulders. Ann glanced over with envy and then back at her lap where the dress was glued to her skin. She wanted to take off her shoes but it wasn't the place. Harris turned the key in the ignition and she felt trapped.

"Why did you come here?" He asked and looked to his left while he turned the car around.

She eyed him warily but got nothing in return as he resolutely avoided her. Fiddling with the dress she looked ahead at the dark road that reminded her of the night at Juan's place. It made her feel bitter.

"A girl's gotta eat."

Harris turned his head towards her taking in everything with his eyes before turning back to watch where he was going only a passing second later. When he looked at her again something in him seemed to have cracked. It was almost visible, right there across his face.

"What the hell Ann?"

"Excuse me?"

"WHAT THE HELL?" He yelled slamming his hands on the wheel but never losing focus on the road.

"I told you to leave, to stay out of it and now look at you."

The extent of his outburst shocked her a little but she kept watching him without so much as a blink. Maybe he didn't have it all figured out after all.

"You've come a long way then, as I recall you're the one who told me to get _into_ it in the first place."

Harris glanced at her with contempt and a hint of sadness but remained quiet for a while. The speed of the car died down with his temper.

"It doesn't matter now. I suppose you've learned your lesson."

She laughed holding her cheek that still stung from the hits. "My lesson..."

"To not stick your nose where it doesn't belong." His tone grew angrier again. "Why don't you go home to that past-his-prime excuse of a husband of yours and let me finish this."

She wrapped her arms around herself shivering from the cold as he went on.

"You were asking for it. Always one with the big mouth and the first to cry, don't know how the hell you were brought up." 

Her arms dropped and she regarded him while the anger kept building up.

"You know what Harris? I've had a pretty awful day so would you please just hold your nasty tongue this one time." 

He licked his lips as if on cue and leered over. 

"Cuts deep, doesn't it?"

"Absolutely slices my insides." She replied with sarcasm leaving it to her words to cover up the sudden rush of fieriness that made her uncomfortable.

"These days you can barely scratch me, Harris. Comes with the fall." 

"Oh I'll climb up, you'll see." He tapped the wheel as they were nearing an intersection and the tone of his voice alarmed her. "But you never will." 

Before she had a chance to cut in he continued.

"Which hotel is it?" 

"Like hell I'm gonna tell you." 

"You want to walk there? Looking like that?" 

Her teeth clattered indicating he was right as always. 

"Omni."

"Fine choice, Annie."

Five minutes later they arrived at the entrance, both deep in thought. His hand hovered dangerously close for a moment but it eventually landed on the gear in a tight grip. That persistent memory lay in those small gestures, ones she had never seen anyone else do in the exact same way. Harris did everything slightly differently but she didn't want to remember how that difference used to push her to her limits.

"Take my coat at least. You really do look awful." He finally spoke.

"Thank you for offering, Harris, but I doubt it would help at this point."

"Suit yourself." His eyes wandered on her legs longingly as she got out of the car with all the grace she had left.

_Maybe I could pull this off after all._

"You still stay at the penthouse?" She leaned against the door knowing he had a full view inside her cleavage. Was that fear in his eyes? She had never expected the day to end on such a good note.

"Yes, why?" He replied more hastily than he normally would to a simple question like that.

"I'm coming over at seven tomorrow night. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you but right now…I have an incipient pneumonia to kill." Not waiting for an answer she flashed him her casual smile and slammed the door shut. The look of confusion on his face made her chuckle as she walked towards the doors and every time that uneasy feeling reared its ugly head she tried to laugh a little more. She didn't care how crazy it made her look for it was necessary now.

After spending 20 minutes in the hotel lobby she walked out again and took a cab to her actual hotel.


	8. Rocketing Plans

"No! That's insane. I thought we already had a deal." Ann jumped up hitting her knee on the table and knocking over the carefully selected make-up products in the process. At the other end Juan waited until the rattling noises died down.

"The deal wasn't you spending the rest of your life in Austin trying to accomplish one easy task. I've got too many men tied up to this and I'm out of patience, so tonight…get out of there at ten. That's it, not a minute earlier and not a second too late."

"I'm sorry." Ann grunted on the floor while she picked up the cases. "Could you perhaps be more SPECIFIC?"

He broke into laughter that turned into a coughing fit. "That's good, that's good. Keep that and you'll get the job done."

She slammed the products back on the table.

"And remember, 10 p.m. I have a surprise for you."

Her eyes flung wide open and before she could say anything he had already hung up.

_Well plan B just turned into plan A._

….

Ann tried to keep her thoughts to last night, Harris left alone in his car without a clue of what she was up to. It was a state he had to be kept in because fooling him was a challenge in itself, outsmarting him in only a couple of hours…now that required sheer luck. She had bought a black pencil skirt and a ruffle-front pink top purely for this occasion. If she was lucky it would throw him off. The man loved to read her by her clothes and it was one of his many talents she wished his mother would have killed along with his sanity.

She elongated her neck and felt the curls dance lightly on her skin, like they were tantalizing Harris on her command. His stare was so sharp, yet blank at the same time, that she couldn't help herself. He leaned on the doorframe rolling down his sleeves.

"What's this, business casual Annie style? All that's missing is a typewriter and cigarette fumes over your head."

"Good one, Harris." She said smiling brightly and made a move to try and get her foot in the door but her hopes of making a slick entrance were ruined at that instant when he barricaded her way.

"Now give me one good reason I should let you in."

_Right into the deep end then. _

She threw her hands at her sides. "I don't have any, Harris. But if you don't…" She smiled cunningly. "…absolutely nothing will happen."

He lifted his chin in consideration, not giving her the slightest hint of his thoughts. She handed him her purse and then mimicked his facial expressions until he stepped out of her way. It was all up to fate now.

It had changed more than she expected. The interior was dark from floor to ceiling and the lack of carpets made it all look naked to her, as if someone was either just moving in or out. On the walls there were pictures of Emma from when she was little and even some very recent ones, all arranged chronologically, she noticed as she walked on. There were also family shots but in each and every one of them there was Judith in her place and she quickly tore her gaze away. Harris followed her without saying a word, like the shadow from past that he was.

The burdensome silence was only broken by the sound of her heels clanking against the floor and all too soon she had come to the end of the hallway. There was a large mirror that appeared before her without warning and she turned around not wanting to see the reflection of the two of them together.

Harris had started to look angry, she thought, unless it was the same blank stare again that was making her uneasy. They were too close but she wasn't going to be the one to show fear. After all, the worst was still to come.

"What are you doing here, huh?" His voice got a tad louder with each word.

She was taken aback by his straightforwardness. A small part of her had held onto hope she could get him to loosen up but he wouldn't allow any distractions. Where most people had that sensitive side, he seemed to have a black hole that sucked all kindness in it. She took a step back trying to collect the thoughts that had begun to crumble.

"I wanted to ask you...were you really going to do something if I didn't go ahead with the plan?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Annie." He said with perfect conviction.

"Really? That's how you're gonna play it?"

He winked almost smiling, yet the answers she needed were buried deep behind his eyes. If only she could decipher them. The walls started to close in even though he had not moved.

"I need a moment, Harris."

"What kind of a moment?"

"I need to be alone…"

"You just got here." He laughed clearly enjoying the half-finished scrip that was spilling out of her while she tried to think of ways to prevent further damage. The large couch in the living room caught her eye.

"Can we maybe watch TV?"

"No." He replied in a heartbeat.

She stomped her foot without noticing and then had a strange desire to jump out of the window.

"I'm thirsty" slipped out next.

_Where are these words coming from?_

"Me too." He responded like a robot, a slightly turned on robot that was.

"I'm gonna go to the kitchen."

"Be my guest."

He continued to shadow her as she tried to mentally pick up the pieces of her plan. It started to dawn on her she had relied too much on catching Harris off guard. He had had a full 24 hours to prepare whereas she had spent that time healing her bruises and manically polishing the gun that she knew she couldn't even take with her.

She reached for the cupboard while he walked up from behind her and laid his hands on her hips, just slightly tugging her against him. It was the moment of truth, one she couldn't walk away from. Flee or fly, that was the question. She was two seconds from losing her grasp on the situation and a decision had to be made, and so she turned around hoping the pulsing blood flow hadn't reached her cheeks just yet.

He didn't wait and she didn't know why she had assumed he would, for when it came to her he had always been a man of uncontrollable impulses, ones that she had spent years and years trying to forget. To go down with his weaknesses would be the ultimate mistake but she was halfway there when he illicitly feasted on her lips smudging her lipstick into a bigger mess than was necessary. She pushed him off and he seemed only too happy to see the result he had created.

"I need to…can you give me a second?"

"What for?"

"I'm a…" She bit her lip desperately searching for a way to stall the situation.

"…an insufferable tease is what you are." He came at her, the lust now unleashed and only some minor moral codes keeping him from ravishing her against the sink. Her heart started racing and she clutched at the sink behind her. She had not expected him to be glued to her the entire evening. How unfair it was to never get a chance to practice the most important parts.

"I can't…" Another half-finished thought escaped her and pranced around the room parading her failures while Harris sucked the remaining energy out of her.

"Annie...come on." He stroked her arm softly and laid his eyes on hers, looking like a schoolboy crushing hard. It was a look she knew must have cost the sanity of more than one woman and she was thankful she knew better now. Twenty years is enough to teach to deal with any kind of man - in theory. She raised her hands losing sight of the game.

"You want me, Harris?" She hissed. "Go on and just say it."

"You're one step behind."

"Oh I doubt that. You were more than happy to force yourself on me the other day."

He glared at her. "Like I needed to do that. If I wanted to have you I would have _had_ you."

You think a slimy, _self-centered_ sociopath like you can have anything at any time. Your tricks are as old as your money."

Against her intentions the words only brought light into his eyes, just like any other time when his reactions would be the complete opposite of what she had hoped. She was fuelling a monster and she couldn't stop.

"Like a sick starved animal…" She recited, feeling poetic.

And then the mood changed like a lightening had stricken them, making her stop immediately.

"You know what I always loved about you..?" He ran his thumb over her lips, almost breathless from need. "…that mouth of yours."

A sweet suffocating feeling took over her as he firmly covered it with his hand. Her mind flashed back to all those times he had forced her into silence and she had so willingly succumbed.

"Can't have that now." He hushed using his other hand to unzip his pants. The air was hot from their breathing and she extended her neck in a moment of haze, just to get a better feel of his cool lips trailing it with kisses, that turned out to be much too gentle. It reminded her of home and she swerved, wondering if he had done it on purpose.

"So once again, _what_ are you doing here?" He brushed her lips again and moved his hand to her chest, pulling the front of her top into a fist. She felt like that rumpled piece of fabric, crushed into a ball in his hand.

"I already asked you the question and you didn't give me an answer." She replied monotonically.

He waited a couple of seconds and then pulled her roughly right into his face.

"I'll tell you what, you're either here to kill me or to fuck me. So which is it?"

Ann felt like she was going to be sick when, after some small hesitation, she started opening the zipper at the hem of her skirt and saw the self-satisfied smile appear on his face. Her eyes wouldn't settle for one moment but kept blinking like more than one poisonous insect had flown into them. It might have been what drove him over the edge.

He laid his fingers where the slit was and kissed her hard while pulling the skirt up. In the end it was so far up she could spread her legs wider and leaned on the sink throwing her head back. His hand kept sliding along her thigh multiple times and she only hoped he had been deprived of such pleasures long enough for this session to go by fast. However, no matter how hard she tried he wouldn't put an end to the foreplay and eventually his hands forced her legs further apart. His thumbs came from both sides to circle over her panties, making her knees give in a little. As she fell lower she saw the maliciousness in his expression and before her mind could travel back to relive the full extent of his betrayal, one of many, he pushed his thumb deeper, making her stagger again. He swirled it, practically drilling her through the fabric, or at least that's how she felt when her lower body trembled at his touch, but she tried to keep her head in the game.

"Harris...can we move to somewhere more comfortable?" She moaned when their lips had barely parted and he was biting her in just the right way. The sink was already warm under her palms but she needed to get him out of there.

He glanced at her not seeming to care very much where they were. "You first."

She led the way and he kept a firm hold on her hand. It was show time and it made her look fondly back on the night at Juan's place when she had had that cocaine to give her strength. It would have made it so much easier, the worst of the demons always did. They moved to the couch and she removed the top trying to pull off a seductive stare at the same time, but it kept fleeing her eyes.

He snatched the top out of her hand and threw it on the floor before they both crashed on the couch in a tangled mess. The leather creaked under her as she lifted her hips helping Harris get rid of her underwear. When he was done he rose on his knees taking off his shirt and watched Ann do the same to her bra. She tried to think of the line, that point where it would become cheating.

_As long as I don't enjoy it. _

It was easy to remove herself from the situation for she had done it countless of times before. Twenty years of fake smiles when people had told her about their children and explained what a wonderful gift it was to have them, and why was it that she never chose that road. She would be the best mother they could think of. And then in later life when Bobby would tell her it didn't matter so much, that she still had so much good in her life.

Harris had the perfect spot now, an inch away from sealing the deal. She closed her eyes and told herself it wasn't happening.

And then just like that, he stopped. The breath she had been holding escaped her lungs and her body shivered as a result. It was the first time she realized just how badly she was burning up, so close to him. She got up on her elbows trying to follow his heat as he distanced himself.

"You're faking it." He said as his eyes darted.

"What?"

"Get up."

She was still baffled when he grasped her hand and pulled her off the couch. Her feet landed on what appeared to be the only carpet in his place but it was a fluffy one and her heel got instantly caught in it. She shook the shoes off and enjoyed the feel of the expensive material under her toes. It turned out to be a pleasure short-lived when Harris lifted the skirt to her hips and slammed his hand on her backside. She cried out in surprise at the sharp pain but without leaving her any time to recover he slammed her harder again. It made her wince and she tried to step aside only to be stopped by him.

"No no no Annie...you don't want that." He whispered, caressing the spot he had just hit.

"I can't. Not anymore."

"That's what happens when you miss practice."

He slammed her again and again, his eyes never leaving hers, and she knew hers were foggy now. She was fighting hard to stay still, with the blood rushing down with each slap, and every time his hand met her flesh he groaned a little louder, clasping at her and slowly pulling her closer only to inevitably raise his hand for yet another smack. She tensed every time that happened, and then quivered when she felt him fondle her while the warmth surged through her lower body.

Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, his hand slipped under her skirt and she had no control over the sounds that escaped her. The area was so sensitive it almost burned from the slightest touch. She looked away biting hard on her lip as his fingers mercilessly entered her and the more she trembled, the rougher he handled her.

He stopped after a while and began what would be the final stage of their long ago abandoned game. Staring at each other he raised his hand higher and she was fearless, eyes on him the entire time. It stang as the sound vibrated through her body, and his eyes grew expectant, hungry for that response that would prove some things remained forever unchanged. Her mouth slowly broke into a wicked smile, and even though his didn't, she knew it was all going to his liking. Another slam and her eyes were on fire, driving him to that point where he was close to losing all sense of being. There was no way of knowing how hard his hand would hit her now but she didn't care for it had never been hard enough. During the last one he growled so loudly she couldn't help but match the note before she sank her teeth into his shoulder.

He pushed her against the wall without a clear plan and their bodies wrapped around each other until it got too much to handle. His chest was hard and heaving under her fingertips that teased him as much as they possibly could in the state she was in, and he got back at her by removing the skirt that kept blocking them. Feeling him against her now was more than she could take, and she couldn't hide her eagerness when he brought her down on the carpet. There was so much anger in him and she felt it made everything a hundred times better than in the past. His rage only made her smile wider but she knew he was done punishing her now that he had it all. She laid her head back letting him do whatever he wanted with her. It was good, it was everything it was supposed to be and all his self-preservation was gone. That was a man heading for destruction.

When she came, he covered her mouth again, almost as if trying to shut her away the way she had hoped to do with him. Sadly for him, the truth was written gloriously across his face of which she had a small glimpse no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

….

"I think I'm going to get a glass of water." Ann said as she started putting on her underwear. Harris eyed her suspiciously, clearly unhappy with her getting dressed but then just lay back just enjoying the moment.

"Pour me a drink too, will you Annie?"

"Still don't like serving yourself?"

He grinned. "I'd rather watch you walk."

Not bothering with the rest of her clothes Ann gave him a smile she knew he couldn't resist and then showed him just the right angle as she moved to the kitchen.

Once there, she sprang into action taking two glasses from the cabinet and filling one with scotch and the other one with tap water. She then swiftly pulled the small plastic bag from the seam of her bra. It included the exact amount Emma had not so long ago mixed into his pancakes and she knew it would work. That was never a problem, the one perfect part in her otherwise shaky plan.

Guilt nagged at her chest as she poured the powder into the drink knowing it was rather dangerous with the alcohol involved. Why couldn't she be more like him, just not care? He for sure didn't let things like that get to him and that's why he always came out as a winner, up until now. Yes, she convinced herself, that's why she had to do it.

Holding the glasses Ann turned around and her reflection in the window stared back at her with empty eyes, hair a mess and such a frail looking body supporting it all. She had always expected the devil in her to be ten shades darker but it just wouldn't come out. It seemed it had grown roots inside her, laughing at her futile attempts to stay on the side of good.

Harris had put on sweatpants and was sitting on the couch when Ann entered the room again. At first she thought there was music playing but it was just him humming a sad tune she vaguely recognized from a long time ago. Harris had always preferred the sound of his voice, or even his own thoughts, over actual music and she didn't know why it had never bothered her before.

She was about to hand him the drink when he waved her to stop.

"No, you go first." He nodded at her causing her heart to sink instantly. In or out of his clothes, the Harris Ryland she loathed was always there.

"Not a fan of scotch, Harris." She muttered as the rim of the glass was inevitably nearing her lips. Would she dare to drop it?

At the last second he got up and to her relief took it from her hand. Clinking her glass he poured it all down and she wondered why she got to be so lucky. When he was done he looked at her adoringly. It was the moment she knew her betrayal had been nothing short of flawless but it gave her no joy, and he picked up on it.

"What's with the sour face, Annie? Thought you got what you came here for."

As hard as she tried she couldn't force the smile now.

"I suppose you're right, Harris."

He looked at her incredulously and then put the glass down on the coffee table with more force than was necessary. The sound made her heart jump a little.

"Why don't you stick around?" He turned his back and walked towards the kitchen as he continued. "We can have another ride if you're not fully satisfied. I may have underestimated the damage…"

"You're playing with fire." She interrupted, subconsciously referring to the fact he was pouring another drink.

"That's all I ever do, Annie. You should try it more often."

Was the glass even fuller this time? She prayed for the effect to kick in soon.

"You know what…it's late and I'm beat. Shall we head straight to bed?" Hoping to hide her expression she emptied her glass the moment he laid his eyes on her in suspicion. It was thanks to the complicated matters that he wouldn't be able to figure her out, but she knew she was sailing on dangerous waters.

He walked over to her, and she did her best to keep her cool when his hands reached for the hook on her back.

"Take these off and then we'll go." He whispered into her ear, making her body respond to every word much too eagerly. The bra fell on the floor and she removed the panties under his gaze as he took another sip from his drink. Compared to what had happened earlier it was all very innocent and at the same time light years from how things would work at home.

_This isn't me. It's just an act. _

She replayed the thought over and over again as she followed Harris, and laid herself on the bed with him, and even when his hand moved from her lips down her body. It would all count as one lapse, she decided, denying him any further entrance.

….

He was fast asleep. She knew this when she tugged at his beard and received no response. It was going to work out and she could hardly believe it.

After she had put her clothes on she ran to his study and that was when despair hit again. There was no way of knowing where to look but she didn't have a lot of time, and so she started drawer by drawer until she moved to the boxes in the closet. For a man who had three computers in one room he certainly stored a great amount of paper. The room was so neatly organized she was sure there was no way to hide her traces, even her fingerprints seemed to shine a mile from there, but she gave it her best effort in a true OCD manner. It was difficult to copy someone who was born with that condition, or an eerily tuned version of it at least.

A box after another met with a thorough search, and she even stopped expecting Harris to show up in the doorway in full blown rage. She wondered how he would feel after he woke up. Would he come after her right away or get his silent revenge later? Definitely the latter, but she would worry about that when the time came.

On the top shelf there was a box that stood out from all the others. It was not just the clearly old cardboard that must have gone through several renovations without any cover. It was the thick red 'X' that had been brushed on it. She got on her toes and pulled it out.

The moment she opened it she knew she had hit the jackpot. There were pictures, and even the negatives Juan had mentioned, and he appeared in most of them. By the look of them she figured they must be about 20 years old, although Juan seemed to be ageless. There he was with a blond woman…Ann squinted her eyes. There was a familiarity there and it wasn't a pleasant one. She could have made the connection anywhere.

This was the woman from the portrait in Harris's office at the hotel, the one he had always refused to speak about.

She gasped holding the picture between two fingers and looked around the room that she couldn't recognize at all anymore. What was going on? She then remembered the photos that would have caught her attention sooner had she not been so busy searching for the ones Juan needed. They were in one of the desk drawers she pulled open again, and sure enough, she could tell the setting in them now, the whiteboards with chemical drawings and the skyline that could be seen through the glass wall. It was from Christopher's office. She quickly looked through them all trying to make sense of it.

_The masterpiece…was he being serious?_

In confusion she dropped the pictures from her hands and they landed back in the drawer. There was nothing else in there, only photos of empty offices. She tried the computer but it was locked and the clock ticked on.

_I must warn them, in some way…but of what?_

She put everything back and after one last careful look at the shelves in the closet she took the box with her. On her way past the bedroom door she noticed Harris was still in the same position she had last seen him. She checked the time on her phone only to see she had five minutes left and another message from Bobby waiting as well. Not wanting to unsettle her nerves even more, she decided to read it later and rushed to Harris's bedside instead. Was he breathing? She tried his pulse but couldn't tell if it was the way it was supposed to be. His heart seemed to beat too fast, she concluded after a while, and it made her nervous. If he died here they could trace her DNA, and even worse, figure out what had happened on the living room carpet.

She looked at the time again, then at Harris and finally at the tempting escape route. With a sigh she picked up his phone from the bedside table and dialed 911. The call-taker only found out the name of the victim, what he had taken and which address he was at before Ann dropped the phone on the bed and ran out.

She almost tripped on her own feet in the hallway when she opened Bobby's message.

_"I know you're up there. I'm right across the street."_

She had to take hold of the rail as her feet turned to jelly and the box crackled under her arm. Bobby had always had an impeccable timing but this was an unfortunate moment for him to shine. The elevator was taken and she closed her eyes trying to take a deep breath but the air churned painstakingly slow down her airways. She weakly lifted the phone to her ear trying to call back but the seconds passed and he didn't pick up. It worried her even more since there had never been a time in their lives he would ignore her calls. Maybe he had learned from her after all.

The elevator ride was too slow but she barely registered the walk outside. Next to her a young couple was arguing over who was the worse one for cancelling their plans, and she missed the time she used to think such things mattered more than anything else in the universe. She almost lost her balance again when she started crossing the street, her mind elsewhere. There was no one on the other side but she kept walking not wanting to slow down in the middle of the road.

He came out of the alley waving a phone, and it took her only a fraction of a second to figure it out. The brown eyes with a ruthless stare that made Harris look like an angel, a fallen one, and the brightly colored shirt that matched his skin tone beautifully but was buttoned too low, it was a combination that haunted her every minute of the day. She handed him the box, only happy that it was now over.

"I knew you had it in you." Juan grinned viciously, rubbing his neatly shaved jaw and then gave her the phone in return. "Thought this would be a fun touch."

Sirens were blaring in the distance and her hands started to shake. She was counting on him to tell her if there was more to the story than just stealing Bobby's phone. Asking him questions was risky and quite possibly might make matters worse.

"Are we good now?" She asked, faking a tiny amount of confidence.

"We are, for now. I only have Ryland to deal with and you've made it a hell of a lot easier. A little treasure you are."

A different kind of panic hit her now. Lately she had been so very helpful to so many people she wanted to wipe out of her life for good.

"You are not going to do something to him, are you?" She couldn't help asking.

"What do you care?" He seemed to be taken by genuine surprise but it didn't last for long.

"Aww but of course, a man gets you into bed and it's all rainbows and butterflies after that."

Seeing what their conversation had dwindled into, she decided to leave, but he was faster.

"Tell me how it went, did he do you good?" He ran his hand down her back and she shook him off in disgust, for both him and for herself. Not soon after she felt the cold metal pressed against her neck again. His eyes were dark, air a mix of his almost feminine aftershave and a strong smell of cigar.

"I can't wait." He said, giving her a long look, and then took off in the nick of time before the ambulance arrived. She was grateful he didn't know what an easy target he had now but who knew how long that would last.

She would have to go home and forget about him and Harris, but somehow she had a feeling it wasn't over just yet.


	9. Flying High and Crashing Down

_Author's note: Hi all, just wanted to say I love you and your reviews. Glad you're sticking with this story :D I still don't know how long this will be but when I do I will tell:)_

Bobby's eyes were fixed on the new phone on the dining room table. It had his number now but it had not gone off once and although it had been on for only a couple of hours, he was starting to doubt it worked right. Hope would never leave him, no matter how many signs pointed towards trouble. Sitting on the opposite side was Sue Ellen, pretending she didn't notice his quietness.

_Don't you worry, Bobby. I'll let her have it. Once I get to the truth._

"I think I missed my chance." He finally said when she was just about to get up and leave. It bothered her a great deal that she couldn't talk with him freely now, especially when she had started to question Ann's judgment. In fact she was now certain her friend would do something stupid but it was too late to back up.

"She's only in Austin. She'll be back, you do know that?" She stated the only two things she was sure of.

He smiled shortly, still staring at the phone. "I didn't mean that. It's just that…I pulled away from her for a while and I don't think she ever really forgave me. She's so afraid of losing people, one crack like that is enough for her to shut me out completely."

Sue Ellen reflected on his words and then thought back to her last conversation with Ann. She had smelled fear, not insecurity. It had to be something else.

"Ann needs you. She loves you, and she won't leave, ever."

He looked at her for the first time, pure hopelessness in his eyes. "That's not what I meant." He responded a little too harshly and took a quick pause, tapping on the table as if hoping to bring some life into the stubbornly silent phone.

"I missed my chance of getting through to her. I don't want a life of uncertainty and never knowing if she's fine, when she won't talk to me. It has to be right this time."

She watched him, feeling the pain all too well. It wasn't something she could fix now and dwelling on it would take her into such dark places she decided to fly above it.

"It's gonna be right, I can feel it." She squeezed his arm gently but it was hard as a rock.

….

Ann's world had been dark before. As a teenager she had felt excluded from it as she quietly watched everyone else live their lives while wondering why none of it had been offered to her. By the time Emma was born the brightness had already been revealed to her and having the night set in hurt even more. She had it all but it didn't matter, it was all so undeserved, or so she had thought for some unexplainable reason. When her baby disappeared it finally dawned on her what she had and what she might never have again. It was the worst kind of pain and it shut all the light out for years until she slowly found her way back to life, half a woman, half a wreck.

It was gone again. She lay alone on the bed, her jacket still on, and drifted off to sleep she couldn't get enough of.

...

Someone was calling. She felt the vibrations through the mattress that her ear was pressed against, waking her softly and yet unpleasantly. Once she had lied awake in the middle of the night, fearing the inevitable moment Juan would contact her, she had started to hate anything her phone did. She flipped it over and noticed it was an unknown caller. It was enough for her to turn it off.

Now embraced with the sweet silence where no one could reach her, voice distant threats or remind her of actions never to be atoned for, she could finally sleep in peace.

In the dream her hands were tied above her head to the very bed she had so happily closed her eyes in. The restraints were made of soft leather that had a strong distinctive smell and she was feeling it in full ecstasy. She kept pushing the sheets with her feet, her hips grinding against the mattress that was burning her skin and then he finally arrived, the man she had lured in with her relentless desire. Of course he could smell her.

The closer he came the harder the bond tightened around her wrists. It wasn't warm anymore, it only got colder.

"I had you all along." His raspy, cigar smoke rough voice whispered as he morphed from place to place until he was inside her. It happened so quickly, so effortlessly, she didn't have a chance in hell of fighting him and it made her scream. The ice cold metal kept her wrists trapped and now there was a leash with studs wrapped around her neck, sinking into her flesh harder with each scream. She wasn't sure why she was crying out loud when she enjoyed it so much. Juan loved it too.

"There's a part of you that wants me and there's not a thing you can do about it." He said preparing to tighten the leash for one last time.

She woke up before he had that chance.

In shock she clutched onto Bobby's arm, her heart beating rapidly to the point she felt sick. It had felt so real she was still to some degree convinced it had happened. She pulled him closer and he instinctively sheltered her as if he never had another choice.

"It's okay, Annie. It was just a dream."

What she was feeling was certainly not a dream but she clung to his words. He was the wisest man she knew and so, it seemed like the right thing to do.

"I didn't know you were coming back today. I would have been here…" His voice grew weaker for the few words carried all his worries from the past week.

"I didn't plan on leaving today. It was a last minute decision." She tried to think if what she was saying was actually true but she couldn't be sure anymore. The reality started to set in again and her arms let go slack as her body fell limp.

"Well you're here now." He tried, sounding more hopeful than either one of them was.

She attempted a smile but it just wouldn't happen. Bobby felt her forehead and didn't look in any way relieved when it became apparent she was perfectly fine in health. How long could he take her mood swings?

"How would you feel about coming down to the offices tonight? Christopher has found this new researcher for his team, a brilliant man actually, and is hosting his birthday party there tonight. You're welcome there too…" He looked down and that was when Ann was most curious to see his face. "I'd love for you to come." He added.

_He must be desperate. _

She tried to read him, to figure out where his mind was and if he knew anything about Austin that he wasn't supposed to.

Or maybe he was just trying patiently to get through to her. Suddenly her head felt heavy and she sighed unintentionally, causing a few more worry lines to appear on Bobby's face.

"Emma is gonna be there too." He coaxed her.

This peaked Ann's interest. She sat up, her eyes wide as plates. "How do you know that? Did she tell you?" She placed her hand on Bobby's arm and tried to squeeze it for information. "Has she been here?"

There was hope in Bobby's eyes too and he put his hand on hers, feeling it like a rare treasure. "No, but John Ross told me."

"John Ross?" She stiffened, not knowing why. "That's odd he has more of a connection with my daughter than I do."

Bobby smiled sympathetically but it wasn't the kind she had hoped for.

"You read so much into these things, Annie, but I guess it's understandable with the kind of history you and Emma have."

She let go of him and fell back on the bed, making her phone do a little jump which caught Bobby's eye. He didn't comment on her new sleeping companion but their eyes met at that awkward moment and she tried to soften her expression, hoping he would kiss her and make it all go away. He missed the hint.

"I'll be there." She said, closing the window of opportunity from him as a punishment.

….

_"Sir, you should go for a check-up at least, to make sure you haven't suffered any brain damage."_

"_See this finger right here? I'll shove it straight up your nose, so precisely I can give you brain damage AND fix it in one go. Would that be the proof you're looking for?"_

It was the last Harris saw of the paramedics before they exited the bedroom, shaking their heads and keeping an eye on him as if expecting him to jump up and chase them down with the said finger. The night that followed was uncomfortable to say the least but not enough for him to give up the luxury of his own private kingdom.

….

Harris stirred the blended scotch in his hand as he tried to stay calm and not drink it in one go like the trash in economy certainly would. He stretched his feet enjoying one of the few luxuries his flight had to offer. The trip had been one nightmare after another, even his secretary had made the ultimate mistake and forgot to reserve the two seats for him. He was now forced to sit next to a retired CEO of a company that either sold corn or published a farming magazine, it was difficult to tell which, even though she had not shut her mouth once during the agitating fifteen minutes they had been on the plane. She also somehow managed to keep knitting and munch on pecans at a steady pace, a sight that made him feel dizzy after about three seconds. The stories went on to the point where it was starting to hurt his ears. He closed his eyes and took a sip, hoping it would block her out.

"Now tell me, sir. What do you do?" She sounded curious, triggering his defense mechanism.

"Trucks." He replied.

"You make trucks?"

"Move them." He took another sip, now dangerously close to emptying the whole thing.

"The thing about trucks…"

_Of course she would think of something._

He took a deep breath and set the glass down, feeling his blood boil. He cut her off right away.

"Now here's the thing about people. You talk to them…" He rubbed his chin, knowing where he was going but wanting to set the mood just right. "…and they may appear harmless, good-looking, charming even. Tell me..." He leaned into her and noticed how her mouth twitched, such a curious thing, one he had rarely seen on his mother's face. "Have you ever been surprised?"

"Well yes…" She answered after a short pause that convinced Harris he was on the right track. Her eyes however, were challenging him in a way he hadn't expected after all the meaningless drivel. He moved back a little but let his gaze linger for all its worth until the knitting needles stopped swinging.

"I've been too. And it's gonna end now." His voice was as dark as his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" She set the needles down and slowly fed her bottomless mouth with another pecan.

"The ultimate payback." He said, leaning back in the seat and crossing his hands under his chin. "You find the weakness, you milk it until you have sucked them dry. And then...then you start playing."

The way her eyes danced in confusion reminded him of Ann, and also explained why he was enjoying the talk so much. He continued, savoring every word.

"But for me, the groundwork has been done a long time ago and all I have to do is start playing."

Her pupils finally came to a standstill and she unexpectedly sneered at him. She then wrapped the small plastic bag tightly before setting it on the tray.

"You seem rather sure of yourself but let me tell you what, young man..."

Harris chuckled.

"...life is not something you can control. One day all hell's gonna rain down on you and you won't be able to get up."

"Well storms have a tendency to pass."

"Do they really?"

"In my world they do."

Only the humming sound from the engines surrounded them now. All the other passengers were focused on their devices and impatiently waiting for the short flight to land, a total opposite of the mindset on this woman. She had had her time to rush in the past and the only thing she saw now was the lightly ignited flame in his eyes, one he had tried to show her for the fun of it.

"May God have mercy on the poor soul that ever mistakes you for more than you are." She sighed, picking up the knitting again.

He smirked, happily accepting the prize for a well-played game.

"Oh she has been shown plenty of mercy. Far too much for her own good, I'm afraid."


	10. The Cocktail Hour That Lasted Forever

"Aren't we supposed to bring something?" Ann snapped out of her thoughts once they had entered the building. She usually took care of shopping, hers and Bobby's, but getting a present hadn't crossed her mind at all that day.

"No, no…" Bobby slipped his hand in hers, taking advantage of her momentary confusion. "Mitch asked us all to donate whatever we were going to give to a foundation for autism. I forget what it was called…but it's been taken care of." He smiled, getting a little closer but she only gave him a weak smile before turning away. They walked the rest of the way in silence and Ann tried all kinds of mind-clearing exercises to bring herself back from the funk. It was like her body refused to cooperate with her after being used in a loathsome play. The thought made her want to step further away from Bobby but she fought it.

_Mind over matter. I won…time to get back to normal. _

"Here we are." Bobby announced happily to no one in particular as they entered the vast office space and Ann both appreciated his effort and pitied him for trying so hard when she had done so little. As frightened as she had been by Juan, he still didn't have half the hold Harris had on her from distance. Why was she thinking about him again? She turned to Bobby and kissed him in sudden panic, causing him to stumble backwards until they were both squashed against the glass wall of John Ross's office. Even when she felt him deter with as much force as he could without seeming too harsh, she couldn't resist flinging her tongue against his. This time he lost the politeness and pushed her back by the arms.

"Annie...what?" He whispered in surprise.

She noticed John Ross and Pamela smirking at the two of them from inside and made it her mission to get Bobby away before he noticed. Her cheeks became flushed.

"I just love you so much." She mumbled, guiding him away and hoping he would not reply.

...

"You've had days to work on this. What the hell do you mean you still have nothing?" Harris paced around in his kitchen back in Dallas, making a mental note to degrade Sam Shady's position on his list of SBUPs: Simple-minded But Useful People.

"I mean that all your ex-wife did in Austin was either stay in her hotel room or spend time with you. It's as confusing to me as it is to you."

"There is nothing confusing about it. The woman tried to murder me in cold blood, for the second time, I may add."

"I'm sure she had a valid reason. Was there anything curious about her behavior that night? Did anything out of the ordinary happen?"

Harris growled. "It's like talking to a mentally challenged parrot. You think I haven't gone over every second she was in my home? Should never have let that staggering disaster inside in the first place."

"With all due respect, if I may ask, why did you let her in?"

"It's not important."

"You were hoping she would finally give into your charms, weren't you?"

A beeping sound made Harris jump, perfectly in sync with the question. He looked outside to see the cause, the mockingbird that was always there at the most inconvenient moments and one he was beginning to think was just a source of his own imagination. He flashed his teeth at it and it flew off.

"Now listen to me." He hissed, his fist shaking on the countertop. "She could have thrown herself at me for all I care but nothing, and I mean _nothing_, will make me succumb to that ungrateful hicksville whore ever again." The air was getting thick in the room. He swallowed hard and opened the window.

"Do you give pet names to all your conquests or does Ann happen to be a special one?"

Harris rolled his eyes and exhaled slowly. It was yet another reminder of why he rarely spoke about Ann to anyone. "Just figure out what she was doing in Austin. I don't care what it's related to, I just want something on her. And knowing Annie, there's always something tingling under that thin skin."

"I'll do my best."

The fresh air failed to help Harris this time. He took another deep breath. "_With all due respect_, try a little harder. I have a damn company to run on top of all this crap."

….

"Emma!" Ann exclaimed despite the promise she had made to herself earlier to keep a cool front. It would have been easier had Emma not represented everything that had gone right and wrong in her life, and the things she still had to work on. Fear had left a hole in her that she was still desperate to fill.

"Ann, hi." She greeted her, surrendering to the hug. Ann held onto her as long as she could and after a while she received the reassuring squeeze on her back that she had been waiting for. The gesture had been so simple and yet everything she had been missing during the crazy week. Tears welled up in her eyes just as she let go and Bobby appeared from behind. He placed his hand on her shoulder as if he already knew she was about to lose it.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked in all seriousness as Ann looked away and saw danger lurking in every corner. As much as she tried to convince herself, something just wasn't right. She turned to her daughter, smiling. "I've missed you, Emma. These moments are too brief."

Emma brushed Ann's shoulder while Bobby kept a distance but still observed the entire scene. "Think of it this way. You still have a lifetime of them left."

Ann forced a smile squinting her eyes and nodded stiffly. "I will do that."

….

Mitch Hardy was a big man. It was how he had always been described as, at 6'5 he was already tall but the broad shoulders gave a sense of an athletic build, of which he actually had none. His heart was as big as his accomplishments and those two things instantly drew Christopher to him. After years of eagerly following his publications he finally succeeded in getting him to join forces, to work on giving Ewing Global the final breakthrough in alternative energy research it so desperately needed after the numerous disappointments.

The man of the hour stood before the employees, who tried to mask their irritation over having to stay at the office all night, and watched them with glee and admiration. His round, almost cartoon-like eyes shone with anticipation. Christopher was all smiles in his tailored dark blue suit as he gestured at him to start. Mitch shook his tree trunk like leg, correcting his posture and happily obliged.

"Thank you all for being here. It's truly a delight to meet all of you like this…I came here tonight, not to celebrate my birthday, but the continuation of life. For I believe it means a great deal to come together at times like these. Be it a simple party..." He nodded at the crowd his voice full of melancholy that didn't match the wide smile on his face. Bobby and Sue Ellen glanced at each other, unsure of how to take the gloomy vibe of his words, while Ann stood behind them and watched Emma talk to John Ross. It was like looking in the mirror 25 years back when she had thought getting men's approval meant the world and she hoped with all her heart that Emma would realize she didn't have anything to prove. What she was witnessing, however, told another story. Ann bit her lip trying to rid her mind of the nasty thoughts that were founded on nothing but her own fears.

"...so I want to thank you for your donations. I believe it's important to spread wealth because the true richness does not come from money, it's how you spend it and what you accomplish. Because you can't buy life once it's lost forever...I am now getting to the part I've feared these past few days but it has to be said." His voice broke a little and now every single pair of eyes in the crowd was fixed on him. Ann's heel screeched on the floor and she tried to remain zen while apologizing to everyone in her mind.

"My dear cousin, Anthony Heller, son of Mary and Richard Heller, was...passed away tragically after being hit by a car last week." He started sobbing and reached for a tissue in his breast pocket. There were quiet gasps of sympathy, some looked to the floor and Ann thought her heart had moved down an inch or two.

"He was left lying at the side of the road for days..." He continued, shakingly drying the tears. "Now I don't believe in revenge but I support awareness and things have to change around here. I was just informed a couple of hours ago that a possibly drunk driver was seen on that very same road last Tuesday night. It appears they were driving a black Chevrolet Tahoe."

Ann's eyes dropped to the floor that seemed to be sinking under her feet. The voices became distant and the drink in her hand felt heavy as a rock.

"And I am now asking you to spread the word, to find this individual who, like so many before them, has endangered our community with their reckless actions. Nothing will bring Anthony back..." He broke down harder this time but managed to carry on. "...but we have to keep fighting to stop this. Please." He raised his glass and after a little hesitation people gradually followed. No one seemed to be enjoying their drink and Ann didn't even touch hers. She could only see Bobby's back which was all she could handle. One look at his face and she would know if he suspected something. She retreated slowly, hoping to pause the situation and once she was far enough, she took a turn for John Ross's office.

Head pounding she sat down in his chair and covered her face with her hands, telling herself to breathe over and over again. When she tried to take a peek to see if anyone was approaching, she knocked the mouse by accident and the light of the screen hit her with a painful sting. She put her hand to her heart hoping to try and calm it down but feeling the pulse only made it worse. One of the cabinets was partly open and her eyes glided over like it was the end of the rainbow. She pulled the door open and rejoiced upon seeing the silver flask, much more effective and faster to grasp than the bourbon further away. Her fingers traced the engraved bird on the side that tempted her to join in the free flight. The liquid burned her throat at first but it only convinced her that it was working.

John Ross happened to walk in when she was almost done. For some reason it didn't make her want to stop. She crossed her legs and took another gulp while he watched her in thought.

"I hope you don't mind." She said and smiled. He slowly drew his eyes to her face.

"Carry on." He casually told her, pouring a drink of bourbon for himself. There was an air of mystery around him, very unlike Bobby and Christopher, or the majority of people she had shared her life with. To Ann it was a soul that longed for freedom and for a moment she felt connected in a curious way. Her spirit died the moment he walked out again and she emptied the flask in a heartbeat.

As she placed it back in the cabinet while people continued to act civilized outside, she thought back to all those who had thought of her as crazy in the past and how right they were in the end.

...

"I'm in deep trouble, Sue Ellen. So very deep..." Ann flung her glass and splashed a little on her dress. The more she drank the more freely her thoughts ran and they were now overpouring, breaking every lock she had so carefully set up before.

"I thought you might be." Sue Ellen watched her friend with worry. "But this is no way to deal with it, the hiding and the...drinking I assume." She said wondering how her friend had managed to get into such a state when she had barely left her sight all night. "Talk to me and we will find a way, I promise."

Ann looked into her glass. "There is something you can promise me, Sue Ellen. That you will always be my friend. Always." Her eyes were an ugly shade of pink when she looked up. "Because time has caught up with my shortcomings and left me with nothing."

Sue Ellen put her chin up, trying to understand why tragedy always followed her friends. "Of course I will be your friend, Ann. Why would you question that? And besides, wasn't it you who once told me the good women will always prevail. We will find a way."

Ann sighed and took a sip, hoping to keep herself in a drunken haze. "You don't know me." She tried to keep her eyes still to get her point across. "You just really...don't know me at all."

_No one in this room knows me. Why does it have to be like that?_

"Ann...what is going on?"

"It's all a lie isn't it? You and me, Bobby and I...but Emma and I, that's different. Bound by blood, that's real." She searched for her daughter but she was nowhere to be seen and it crushed her for a moment. Sue Ellen had had enough of the cryptic answers and she gave Ann a gentle slap on the face.

"You said you were in trouble. Why?"

Ann burst out into manic laughter that ended just as abruptly as it had begun. "I've done bad things. Lately." She staggered rubbing her cheek as her eyes still tried to search for Emma.

"The black Tahoe?" Sue Ellen asked, now irritated enough to ask point-blank.

Ann accidentally smashed the glass on the wall and everyone turned around to see what had happened. The liquid quickly encircled Ann but she didn't move, only stared at the small puddle that she was about to drown in. Sue Ellen discreetly motioned for the closest waiter to come over and this convinced the guests that there was no drama involved. They went back to conversing with their colleagues while glancing at their watches. It had been one long evening.

The two women moved, careful not to step on the glass, and five feet away a young man with blond hair put down his phone that he had been pretending to talk to. That was not nearly enough information but the fact he had been able to get any at all was unexpected. He wanted to follow them but Ann's eyes met his and widened just enough for him to be able to tell she remembered seeing him at the hotel in Austin. It was too risky and so he left to find some privacy.

….

"Annie has one of those SUVs, but how is it significant here?" Harris asked while scrolling through an article about a family that had missed their mortgage payments and lost their property at a public foreclosure. It made him smile, knowing their weakness and stupidity had driven them to that point. He kept chuckling, not ready to give the phone call his undivided attention until it was deserved.

"I don't think it was Ann's. She only broke that glass because she's drunk out of her mind. No, Mitch gave this speech to them about his cousin who had died in a hit and run accident last week in Old Preston Hollow, an assumed DUI. That's what he seemed to think anyway."

Harris slowly lifted his gaze from the tablet. "And the vehicle was a black Chevrolet Tahoe?" His mind was racing.

"I looked it up. They don't even have a date. The owners of the property nearby only recalled seeing someone drive a car like that on Tuesday night and it seemed to match the estimated time of death."

Harris clicked his tongue, assuming a more comfortable position, and opened the folder of pictures that had been taken of Ann during her trial. There she was, drifting through a sea of reporters that were hungry for yet another beautiful tragedy, and she had been gracious enough to give them all of that juicy despair in her big eyes. For Harris it was reminiscent of the look on the porcelain dolls he used to get for Emma when she was little, fine to the very last detail. In every shot Bobby was holding her up by the arm but forever failing as a puppet master. The poor bastard would never know how deep the water was and he was already drowning halfway to the bottom. Harris found himself thinking what it would be like to take Ann back to that court room and tie her to the very seat she had been staring at him with overflowing judgment. He tried to picture the look in her eyes and his hand trembled as it scrolled through several pictures. The collar tightened around his neck and soaked his sweat up.

_Look what you're making me do, Annie. Bad girls never learn._

"Mr. Ryland, are you still there?" The voice at the other end asked.

Harris came back from his daydream and reluctantly closed the folder.

"It was Ann, I can feel it. Tell no one and get me proof, and I guarantee your reward will be higher than anyone else's."

….

"Emma, are you coming home with us?" Ann asked, having dragged Bobby to the elevators and keeping Sue Ellen at a distance so that she wouldn't ask her a single question. The longer the secret burdened her, the easier she sobered up and the more reluctant she was to say anything about the subject. She longed to be surrounded by blissful ignorance.

"Maybe some other night." Emma waved as she threw her jacket on, phone in her hand and one foot lingering for the door. Ann was about to button up her coat but stopped, dropping both hands to her sides.

"Why are you always running? Can't we be a real family for one night?" She asked, feeling her heart sink.

"Where is this coming from?" Emma laughed but her eyes widened when she noticed how Ann's shoulders drooped, lower lip trembling powerlessly. "Are you dying?"

The comment built her up again. "Do I need to be on my death bed for you to spend an evening with me? Let's just enjoy the time we have together. Not everyone is so lucky."

"Mitch's speech really hit home, huh?"

"I suppose it did."

"Fine." Emma flung her phone back in her purse. "Doesn't look like I'm getting any tonight anyway."

Ann raised her eyebrows.

"I mean…what I meant to say to my mother was that my perfectly innocent plans just got cancelled." She winked with a conniving look in her eyes she failed to hide due to the drink or two she had consumed, and at that moment all Ann could see standing before her was Harris.

_I love you more than you know. Please don't ever be like him._

As the elevator doors closed, Ann caught a glimpse of Mitch at distance. His eyes were like two bullets shooting towards her in slow motion. She quickly turned her head but only managed to catch two much faster bullets from Sue Ellen. Bobby and Emma stared at the ceiling.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Sue Ellen said, making it sound like a threat and Ann knew she was at the end of the road. Life would not go on this way, not anymore.

"There's no need." She said, turning back to Sue Ellen with determination, and then mouthed the last words.

_I'll tell him._


	11. The Daylight Snake

Ann opened her eyes to a new day, surprised at how peaceful her night had been, and shocked at how cruelly the morning sun flashed upon her face. It triggered something inside her, telling her to prepare for challenges far out of her comfort zone. She turned over to see Bobby but all she saw was his back covered by dark blue flannel that used to make her feel cozy and welcome but now appeared like a wall between them, a wall she was preparing to break. It might end up crashing the bridge leading to it, one they had built together over the years, but if there was one lesson she had learned it was to never keep dark secrets for they would always crawl their way back in. Under that bridge there was a river a thousand snakes could swim in, and one was feasting on the rest of them as it made its way closer to its inevitable target. Ann reached her hand out to Bobby's shoulder but before she could touch it, the rays of sun shone on her skin and reminded her of the harshness of the day that light had brought with it. She pulled it back and lightly climbed out of bed, careful not to bring him back into reality just yet.

As she closed the bedroom door, she glanced over to the direction of Emma's room and smiled to herself, feeling prouder than she should for once knowing where her daughter had spent the night. There were still many barriers between them, she could tell, as she found it impossible to get anything out of her. All Emma's answers had been evasive, whether it was a question about where she had been during the day, what she had had for lunch or even if the new dress she was wearing was a Valentino. All questions went unanswered and at the back of her head there was a constant fear that Harris might lure her back in with whatever pills she wanted. Not that she was taking any, why would she. Ann tried to remember if there had been any red flags but the earlier drinking had left a dim coat over the rest of the evening and she knew there was no way to tell for sure now. She felt a little ashamed and worried about her behavior at the party now but decided to push it out of her mind.

Ann landed the stairs and made her way to the kitchen where she noticed her phone lying next to the sink. At 4 am there had been a missed call from an unknown number, one which her trembling fingers erased immediately as she looked around nervously.

_Why is he still doing this? _

Once it was gone she felt lighter and opened the text from Sue Ellen.

_I'm coming over at 9. We need to talk._

Ann looked at the time, 8:30 am, and tried to run all of last night's events through her mind. A slight throb on her forehead reminded her again of the various liquids she had poured down her throat but she was not sure what exactly was the main cause for her racing heart. It was happening too fast for the ends to be tied in a way that wouldn't leave room for more questions. She put the phone down, text left unanswered and unnoticed if she was to have her way, and sprinted up the stairs her feet barely touching them. 30 minutes was all she had.

….

Permanent smiles were etched on their faces when they both came down half an hour later. Bobby stroked the waistline of her red cotton robe that covered the tiny lacy nightgown under it. Whenever his hand moved, she adjusted her hips against his just enough for the robe to open a little more, by accident. Her eyes kept wandering to the front door.

Minutes passed and it required constant speculation on her part to keep close to him, without it seeming like too much. Other than that, following Bobby was easy because his morning routine was always the same and each part of it lasted the equal amount of time, every single day, putting the coffee on, getting his cup and looking briefly out of the window to reminiscence. The only thing that had changed in eight years was that ever since JR passed that last part had been taking a couple of seconds longer.

_Looking out the window…_

Before he could get to that last phase, Ann whizzed between him and the countertop and gave him a peck on the cheek to lose the puzzled look on his face. He gave her one in return and now neither one could stop smiling in that contiguous way that comes with young love.

_Perfect._

The world heard her call and so the doorbell rang. Bobby backed away a little, posing a silent question on his face and Ann, unprepared for this particular moment, could only look just as surprised. He let her go with more reluctance than she had been used to and as Ann followed him, she wondered if this was how the universe worked in the end – you only know what you have when it's slipping away.

When he was opening the door, she silently tip toed right next to him and put her arm around his waist. He allowed it to stay there, or maybe he didn't notice.

Sue Ellen took one look at Ann's messed up hair and the bare skin that showed from under the loosely hanging robe. "Oh I should have realized it was too early. What with last night and all…I sometimes forget you are not the early bird you used to be." She said to Bobby, her smile genuine but eyes still blinking with worry.

Ann took the lead after the flawless start. "That's okay. Maybe we should learn to act our age." She laughed feeling every bit as chipper and her voice suggested and pinched Bobby's bum making him jump.

"Annie!" He cried out, unable to stop grinning which made him blush. Sue Ellen dropped her purse.

"Ann, can I…?" She bobbed her head at Ann before picking up the bag.

"Of course." She chirped, and then quickly turned to Bobby. "Girl talk, can you give us a minute?"

He watched them both in turn as if nothing made sense anymore and he was happy to accept it. She gave him a big kiss on the mouth and made it last just long enough for it to be improper in that time and place. Sue Ellen stared at them, refusing to feel any awkwardness and succeeded as always. In the passing seconds Ann turned away from Bobby she noticed how the seeds she had planted in her time away had stopped growing but they were still very much alive. It took a hell of a lot to kill the doubt in him but maybe she could dance around it for a while longer. The tips of his fingers gently rolled down her robe as she turned away and followed Sue Ellen outside.

….

"You seem happy." Sue Ellen started with her eyes distant and Ann felt her words were directed at Bobby.

"Life can be happy if you try."

They eyed each other for a while, both wondering if it was worth it to turn the unspoken thoughts into words and ultimately action. Ann hoped her smile would not waver, but Sue Ellen could see far beyond the thin layers.

"I know what you're doing." She pointed at Ann who felt the nail had been painted red for this particular occasion.

"Is it working?" She asked casually, grasping to that glorious upper hand.

"For now, I'm afraid."

"Well then…I guess we can both go on with our days." Ann crossed her arms.

"Can we?"

"I just need time, Sue Ellen, that's all."

Her eyes turned hollow as she watched Ann revert back to the person she had been when they first met. "It won't make a difference." She said. "Time passes and secrets grow darker until they've eaten up everything you once had. You should know that better than anyone."

Ann shook her head in pain, not bothering to explain her schedule that she had yet to sort out. "Have you slept at all?"

Sue Ellen looked at the house behind them and seemed to be considering her own sanity. She then sighed and walked away without a word.

...

"Where's Sue Ellen?" Bobby asked warily as Ann entered the house alone.

"Oh she had to leave."

"Already?" He looked confused in that in that irritating way that was bound to create unwanted questions. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine. And I'm starving." Ann smiled. "Let me fix us something." She turned for the kitchen but Bobby walked right behind her and took her by the shoulder. It was soft but at the same time stern, like a parent catching their child in mischief and she instantly shuddered. He brought his face close to hers and she tried to keep her eyes on his lips.

"What is going on, Annie? To say you're acting strange would be an understatement. And Sue Ellen coming over for a secret chat and then leaving, what is this?"

_Think of a reasonable reaction to this…_

Ann laughed nervously and looked straight into his eyes, all too late realizing how crazy she must have looked.

_Not this one. Let me try again. Bobby, be patient._

"Morning!" Emma said brightly as she passed them on her way to the coffee maker. Bobby and Ann looked at each other wondering if she had heard their conversation as neither one had noticed her.

"Ann, can you give me a ride downtown since I don't have my car with me?" Emma asked and Ann glanced down at her hands, afraid the blood stains might start to show at the mention of her car.

"I'm sorry, Emma, but mine is being repaired and I'm actually going to get it today. But it won't be right now."

"Oh. That's okay."

"I can take you both." Bobby offered. "Where is the repair shop, Annie?"

"Oh that…I don't know…" She saw the stunned expressions on Bobby and Emma and corrected herself even though she would have much rather kept it quiet. "I mean, Vickery Meadow. Slipped my mind." She laughed unnaturally.

Bobby didn't look any less stunned now. "Vickery Meadow? Why?"

"Sue Ellen recommended it." Ann almost laughed again and he stopped trying to make sense of her.

"I can still drive you there."

"That's okay, I'll take a cab."

"A cab? Annie…"

"Just let me handle this myself." She snapped and stormed upstairs, cursing how every little thing had its way of turning against her these days.

….

Ann stepped out of the cab half a mile before her destination and walked the rest of the way, paranoid that anyone could put the pieces together now. The closer she got the more sluggish her footsteps became and by the time she was there, she could barely breathe. Maybe it would have been better off burned to the ground? She tried to think of a convenient way to burn a car but the thought eventually evaporated into nothingness. She put her hand on her chest and went on with a heavy heart.

The vehicle was already there right at the front and Ann reached into her purse to get something for a tip in case the mechanic had done a good job. However, something caught her eye just then making her uneasy, a shadow maybe. She heard the car door open and lifted her head to see Harris get out of it. Her eyes darted from him to the little guy who, at seeing her, ran for his life into the dilapidated hole that served as the garage and locked the door with a loud clang.

"Asshole!" Ann yelled after him and then gradually shifted her gaze to Harris. "That goes for you too. We're even now, so get lost."

He glanced up at the sky, fondling the key in his hand softly. "You always had a strange idea of justice, Annie."

"Of course, if it's not in your favor then it must be strange." Her lips curved into a sly smile. "In or out of jail, you're still the same, all locked up with your own misery."

"You loved that, didn't you?"

"Whatever I felt for you…" She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and started walking towards him, her voice low and eyes blazing. "…died a long time ago, but make no mistake, I _never_ stopped feeling sorry for you."

"I don't think _sorry_ is the word you were looking for, but alright, let's say you were so very, _deeply sorry_ for me on Saturday."

She tossed her hair and put her hands on her hips, sternly waiting for the act to finish.

"I never knew you could get so sad." He shook his head as his eyes wandered down her body. "Your sweet tears. I could lick them all night."

Her eyes opened wide, not entirely sure if this was the punchline.

"You used to pop those pills like a good girl and now you just stick them into someone else. No wonder you got off so hard..."

She desperately tried to blink away the memory he was dragging out of the tightly sealed Harris partition in her mind. "It was an act, Harris." She stated with great pride and watched how his expression darkened before she pouted her lips. "Aw but it's been so long for you that you can't even tell the difference?"

Harris gave her a stare that made her blood run cold and she loved it, until he flung the key in his hand and with one smooth swipe scratched a long straight line on the car door. He then made a sharp move with his hand and twisted the end into a hook. Ann clenched her teeth, jumping a little and ran to grab him by the arm.

"Stop, you deranged maniac! What the hell?"

His arm shot to the sky leaving her jump after it, once, before she realized he was enjoying it.

"It should say _murderer_ because that's what you are. Ain't that so? Sweet little Annie, ever the martyr."

Her face turned cold. "New game, Harris? Do they ever stop?"

"Why stop when you provide me with endless possibilities? Now tell me, open that big empty heart of yours and fill me in. Because I know you." He tapped the said place on her chest with his finger. "You are dying to share with someone."

Ann felt the sting of truth but clung to the bigger picture. "For once in your life Harris, I can guarantee you don't know the half of it."

He smirked. "I'm a very good listener."

"That's one word for it, soulless monster who takes pleasure in other people's misery."

He tried to hold back his laughter to keep her on her toes and only grinned a little when he pushed her against the car. Any traces of his smile vanished when their eyes met in a moment of battle.

"I've gotta give it to you Annie, when I asked you to hand yourself over or kill me...didn't think you'd try both."

"I'm full of surprises, aren't I?" She said with a sudden surge of energy and wondered if he really thought that was what she had intended to do.

He parted his lips, tongue visible right behind his lips. It was like a rattlesnake preparing for an attack. "Well, let me see them."

For a moment she felt an unmistakable pull towards his malicious mouth that projected such greed most people kept hidden deep in their mind. The sun beamed through his eyelashes connecting them in a way that made actual touching secondary to the feeling they got from being trapped in a moment in time, which despite all said and done, refused to let them break apart. She felt the sharp key blade make its way down her back, just slow enough for her to respond to each tweak it made traveling down her spine. Her hips curved against his and there was tightness in her chest fighting with all its might to let her know she was crossing the line. When she finally listened and snatched her hands free, or maybe it was him letting go, the brief sadness in his eyes told her of that, there was a flash in the distance. She turned to look just in time to see a car drive away from a spot by the road where it made no sense to stop at.

"What was that?" She gasped, Harris's effect on her now quickly diminishing. He simply turned away.

"Harris, what the hell? Did you have someone follow us?"

"Paranoid, are we?" He strolled around aimlessly and kept his eyes off her.

"I don't think paranoid is the word you're looking for. Try sick and tired."

He then turned back to her and smirked. "Well that was weak."

Ann glared at him, feeling every despicable action he ever made come back to haunt her. The anger was so strong it made her shake and she was only happy she didn't have a gun in her hand. He seemed to be reading her thoughts loud and clear.

"Aren't you glad you have me? You'll never be alone. And I think we both know you don't handle lonely very well."

Ann glanced to her side, hoping to calm down once his face was out of her sight. "Whatever you think you know, I won't let you use it against me. I'm done with your childish crap."

"What's you gonna do, run to Bobby?" He asked, amused and beholding the key as if it held all the power over her.

"If I have to. You can't terrorize me ever again."

Harris looked at her in thought. "You wouldn't do that. You may think you can but when the time comes...you won't do it."

"Watch me." She smiled, her lips tightly pursed. "And you should watch out for Juan too."

She regretted bringing him up almost as soon as the words had left her but it had been too tempting. Taking advantage of the situation, she grabbed the key from his hand and opened the car door to get in. He watched her in surprise, but still clearly thinking hard.

"Are you taking it? I paid for the damage in advance so you could just leave it."

Ann turned to him slowly, anger keeping her neck stiff. "If only you had been that smart when we were married. It pays to be nice in advance." She then slammed the door shut and left Harris to watch her drive off, more questions on his mind than he had anticipated.


	12. Angels Fall

Arlene Ryland had the face of a Slavic angel and an insatiable taste for danger that was never to be satisfied. Her hair had begun to age early on but instead of gray it turned silver and for her sister this was the last straw. In the early years they had competed in beauty and later in wealth, money and men to be exact, although Arlene never realized she was competing in the first place. Judith refused to accept that her little sister would still hold the crown when it came to growing old gracefully, which led to resentment that she buried deep under her skin. And if this wasn't enough, even Harris seemed to favor her over his own mother – not that he would ever dare show it on his face. He had been taught better than that. Still, every time he passed by the portrait of her he would look at it with admiration, and when the time came, Judith punished him by giving it to him.

With every night that Arlene brushed the comb through her long silvery curls, she would notice a new line on her face. The rest of the world paid no attention to her fading charms but she knew one day they would and that would be the end of her. She touched the deepest one of them all and thought of the man who had allowed her to feel younger than her years. He had a seductive way of speaking and devious eyes for a reason, ones that had fed her cravings for a life that was all but certain, but she knew the time had come to let it go. Her family had a troubled past with sadness holding them captive for far too long and she wasn't going to be responsible for any new obstacles. Sacrifices had to be made and she would make the ultimate one if it meant the Rylands could be safe from her husband's revengeful ways. Although Juan had never shown fear for him, she was sure he would go running once she let him go and hinted at the possibility that her true partner knew of her betrayal. He would run far away and never look back, and her family would live in peace forever.

They never knew of her wish as they all stood by the coffin that her frail and mutilated body had been placed in. Harris thought about the kindness that had now disappeared from the face of the earth and squeezed his eyes shut from time to time to extinguish the fire that burned his eyelids. Judith stood next to him, her stare vacant but lips twitched into something resembling a smile. No one noticed, and even if they had, it probably would have fit the beautiful October day over 25 years ago that refused to darken in the face of tragedy. The skies smiled at the martyr in the family but Judith didn't let it ruin the occasion for her. After all, it was her who blocked the sun from Arlene as the coffin was lowered into the grave.

….

Harris had more on his plate than he could chew. On one side there was Ann doing one insane move after another, and no matter how hard he tried to get inside her morbid mindset, there was something blocking his way. It was one essential part that kept him from seeing clearly and he was so intensely focused on this now that his eyes bulged as he sliced up the tomatoes at an increasing speed. One – two –tree, at each strike he tried to picture Ann's face but all that came to him was Judith and he accepted the mental image gladly. He took an extra tomato and slashed it in half just for the fun of it.

_You should watch out for Juan too._

This was the key, he thought, even though he had been avoiding going there and yet at the same time it allured him like nothing else. If there was a video recording available of the events that took place at Juan's that night, his bid would have been in seven figure sums.

_Something happened._

_Ann has been speaking to him._

_She ran someone over afterwards._

These were the facts Harris was sure of but his body was aching for more information in order to fill the blanks he could never endure. He had not had a specific wish for Ann's fate that night, it had been a mere test, but the uncertainty was slowly driving him crazy and the unwanted images in his head were putting a strain on his blood pressure. After they had forced their way in, Harris decided to process them once and for all.

Had it been just Juan shaming her, like he had done with Arlene? His arm jolted and the knife started slowly carving its way through the wooden cutting board. He closed his eyes picturing Ann's frightened face gleaming with cold sweat but before he could get aroused at the thought, Juan's satisfied expression ruined the image. The dream faded in a flash, as if his body had suddenly decided to fight an attack from the outside, and so he smashed the rest of the tomatoes furiously into a red watery mess.

_Juan, you pathetic creep, don't you know I can still ruin you?_

Harris threw the knife into the sink and grabbed a paper towel to softly pat his face. The memories had an ugly way of bursting through his skin.

"You should have let me do that, daddy."

Emma's voice brought him back to the present and as much as he didn't feel like it, his expression immediately softened at seeing her. He kept longing for reassurance that she wouldn't leave him completely, even if he now knew she was a devil in disguise. It would take years to fix Ann's unfortunate influences that had caused the little angel to drug his father. Harris turned his head uneasily, trying to block the nightmarish image of Ann and Emma plotting together at Southfork.

"I think I've had enough of your cooking, baby girl. God help me if I should hand you a knife." He snarled at her and took the cutter in his hand to rinse it.

He might as well have invited her in because that was what she did, not giving his tone a second thought. "I'm sorry I disappointed you." She put her hand on his shoulder and brushed it gently as she spoke, a move that reminded him of Judith and he didn't like it one bit. "But they gave me no choice. You know what they are like when it comes to our family."

Harris stared at her, wanting to believe but all the while knowing anything that came out of his daughter's mouth these days could just as well be a lie or a result of continuous brainwashing. It was a constant struggle to tell the two things apart and he now knew Judith had not exaggerated when she said letting Ann back into his life was a big mistake.

"Things have been so crazy lately, between you and Ann, that it's hard to know who I can trust." She tried again, innocence shining in her eyes.

Harris took hold of her chin gently. "Well, we'll have to work on that, won't we? Keep reporting back to me about Ann and maybe, just maybe, we can get your life back on track. Or do you still think those two have anything planned for your future?"

She nodded, her eyes compliant. "I guess not. I didn't think it through."

Harris smiled like a proud father. "That's my girl. Now off you go. Can't have you hanging around here all day until you've proven yourself."

Emma was about to leave but then stopped while biting her lip. "Why does it matter so much what Ann does?" She asked, clearly more desperate for an answer than she let on. Harris mentally deducted a point from her.

"Because she wants to live in chaos and when it all falls apart, I want to be the first one to see it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means…you, my prodigal daughter, have overstayed your welcome." Harris started escorting her out when he remembered the reason he had allowed the visit in the first place. There was a letter on the bureau and he handed it to Emma. "Go give this to Bobby, will you. And make sure Ann doesn't see it. _I will know_."

There was panic in her eyes, so similar to Ann's, he thought.

"Why?" She asked, already knowing it wasn't a very smart move. His stare stabbed her in the gut and so she left as fast as she could, balancing the letter between her fingers as if it was on fire.

...

Ann remained in bed after Bobby had left that morning. With each new day her life had started to become more suffocating and in the distance there was looming that talk she had to have with Bobby if she wanted things to get even relatively normal. She wasn't in the mood for a confrontation today, only sleep was welcome, but even when she pulled the duvet over her face, the phone would not stop ringing. She kicked the covers off in sudden rage and grabbed the phone.

"What do you want?" Ann answered angrily. This was the first time the unknown caller had bothered her in the morning.

"You know what I want." Juan murmured in response and Ann found herself hoping he wasn't in bed as well making the call.

"You got what you wanted, that was the deal. Don't you have your hands full of Harris yet?"

"You should be nicer to me, Annie. After all, I had to tip off the police and who knows when they'll put two and two together, that is the vehicle and one Mrs. Ewing with an appetite for blood."

"Don't _Annie_ me. I might as well tip them off about you. Bet that house holds more criminal activities than you can keep track of."

"They did a thorough search the last time they were here. What, does your pretty little head tell you I'm stupid?"

"Leave me alone!" She yelled in frustration. It was all the fight she had in her before breakfast time.

"You know I never will." He laughed and there was a sound of a lighter being flicked. "Just meet me tomorrow. It's all in good fun and I bet you need it."

Ann tried to make sense of the conversation but couldn't understand if she was being threatened or asked out. Either way, the tightness in her chest warned her and she ended the call without a word, before turning the phone off. She then searched for the emergency stash in her bedside drawer and found just the right amount of pills to take the edge off for the rest of the day.

….

_Annie has a juicy surprise for you. Go on and ask her. You know you want to._

Bobby glared at the printed words on the letter addressed to him. It wasn't stamped and yet it was in the same pile with the rest of the day's mail. He had a look out of the window while sensing the trouble that was in the air. Ann had not left the bed all day which worried him even more now.

_Harris._

He thought of the last time the man from Ann's past had handed him information about her. That time Harris had been right and although he wanted to believe that the scoundrel was only messing with him on this occasion, a part of him knew something was up. The fact that he was in the dark again while Harris was not, made things that much worse.

"What is it, Bobby? You look like you've seen a ghost." Emma asked holding a coffee cup in her hands. Bobby glanced at her and folded the piece of paper to hide the message. "That's possible." He responded with a tight smile.

….

The door was still partly open, just the way he had left it in the morning. He wasn't sure if he should take it as a positive sign that Ann wasn't trying to lock herself in, or just worry for the fact she was unable to get up at all. The latter option seemed sadly all too true but he tried his best to be optimistic when he walked over and sat down beside her. Her eyes fluttered open, sparkling with a hint of magic that still captured him after eight years. He tried to look past it as he gently brushed the hair from her face and then put his hands in his lap.

"Annie, I think it's time you told me what is going on here."

She gazed up at him, her face white and eyes now glazed, which suddenly made him regret even asking.

"I killed someone, Bobby." She whispered. Her pupils were strangely dilated and Bobby watched her feeling nothing, unsure if she was even awake or possibly hallucinating. The question was soon answered when she jumped up and ran to the bathroom to throw up. He was left sitting on the bed and staring at the door, horrified.

_It can't be true. She's been acting strange, but not that strange._

There was an almost empty bottle of pills lying on the bed and when he noticed it, it became clear her confession was real. It took a lot for Ann to go there but she had done it now.

He waited a moment and when silence fell in the room, he went to open the bathroom door. It was hard to tell if there was an actual human being in the room as the slumped body on the floor barely showed any signs of vitality. He crouched down and touched her shoulder as lightly as he could even though his first instinct had been to pick her up and rush her to the ER.

"Annie...do you hear me?" He begged but received no response. Her breathing seemed steady but it didn't give him much relief.

"Annie, you're scaring me. Say something." Tears were stinging in his eyes and he squeezed them shut repeatedly until they were under control.

"I'm sorry, Bobby. This time I really did it." She mumbled holding both hands over her face.

"You killed Harris?" He asked, hoping he was having just another nightmare, like the ones he kept having during Ann's trial. In all of them she ended up shooting her ex-husband again, even when she had been set free.

"What?" She opened her eyes and instantly her body stiffened with strength. "No, I did not. And don't you say that asshole's name in this house again." She tried to get up on her knees but her arms were shaking and there was hostility burning in her gaze which frightened Bobby. He took hold of her by the shoulders, hardly comprehending this was the same woman whose idea of surprise used to be baking him muffins early in the morning. Now her eyes were distant and something seemed to have swallowed up the warm expression she always carried so effortlessly. Bobby gritted his teeth in preparation for what was to come.

"Who was it? What did you do?" He fought the urge not to scream and ask why she was putting them through this ordeal again.

"I ran him over. I didn't mean to but I wasn't feeling well."

"Who?" He shook her in fear of the answer, whatever it might be.

"It was Mitch's cousin, the one he talked about at the party."

Bobby tensed even more and his fingers dug into her arms. "What…you…" His hands then let her go completely and he backed against the wall, trying to hold himself up by pressing his palms on the cold floor. His heart was racing and the little air he had refused to enter his airways. After being let free, Ann stood up like nothing had happened and he couldn't understand how she did it.

"We'll talk about this later. I'm gonna…" She swallowed. "…go downstairs to freshen up."

When she was almost out of the door, Bobby managed a deep breath. "Ann?" He called after her weakly.

She stopped, her back stiff and only her head partly turning towards him. "Yes?"

"Why didn't you call an ambulance?"

Ann closed her eyes and then looked at him again, sadly. "I wish I could answer that."

When she left, Bobby watched her in horror and unpleasant memories filled his head with their gloomy echoes.

_There's a lot about Annie you don't know._

After a few minutes of dealing with thoughts that felt like vivid nightmares, he pulled the paper out of his pocket and read it again. Maybe Harris was in some way responsible for what had happened, after all, he had been behind every awful thing that had ever happened to Ann. Bobby decided to hold onto that because right now any other choice didn't ring too good for his wife and he didn't know how much more he could take from her.

He would try talking to Ann first, but after that, it was time Harris got another visit from him.


End file.
